Yakima Valley Trends Blog – August 2025

In PEOPLE:

Population growth remains consistent but slow in the county.

The county gained about 1,400 residents between April 1 of this and last year. That translates into an annual growth rate of 0.6%. The state’s growth rate over the same period was 1%. The 10-year average growth rate for the county for the decade before this year was also 0.6%. This is far less than the state’s average growth rate over the same period, but about equal to the pace in the U.S. 

In AGRICULTURE:

The number of food & beverage manufacturers jumped in 2024.

A bit more than a third of all manufacturers in the county produce food or beverages. In 2024, their number hit an all-time higher: 90. Beverage manufacturers include wineries and, while almost as numerous as food manufacturers, they employ far fewer than the latter. Still, the share of the county’s total workforce by both industries, currently at 3%, is more than twice the state share. 

In ECONOMIC VITALITY:

The overall average annual wage surpassed $50,000 for the first time last year.

This key measure of economic progress - earnings from work- hit $52,100 in 2024. Increases in the average wage translate into higher incomes and consequently a more prosperous community.  

The change between the two years represented a gain of 4.5%, slightly above the longer term. For the 10 years prior, the annual average increase was 4%. The state’s average in 2024 jumped at a higher rate, delivering nearly $95,000. 

To simplify the graph, click off those items in the legend you want to hide. 

Quarterly residential building permitted units have rebounded in 2025.

Most permits become dwellings in a few months, whether for single-family residences or apartment units. So this indicator provides a somewhat crystal ball to local government and developers about the near-term pace of construction. 

After peaking in 2021, permitted units in the county showed a steady decline through 2024. The first two quarters of this year, however, have produced a stronger pulse, with over 380 permitted units. The rate per 1,000 residents still remains below the state average. 

In EDUCATION:

Entering kindergarteners are showing slightly higher readiness.

At the start of every school year, children entering kindergarten are given a readiness assessment (WaKids). The assessment takes up 6 domains: cognitive, language, literacy, math, physical and socio emotional. Ideally, a child shows readiness in all six domains. 

For the county’s entering class last school year, a third displayed this level of readiness. This share is slightly higher than a decade ago, but considerably lower than the state average. 

To simplify the graph, click off those items in the legend you want to hide. 

In EDUCATION cont.:

The share of students meeting English Language Arts (ELA) standards has recovered from the pandemic.

Covid-19 dealt a huge blow to student learning. This is reflected in the results of the ELA (verbal) portion of the Smarter Balanced Assessment for school years 2020-21 and 2021-22. For these years, county 4th and 10th graders who “met standard” fell to 22% and 13%, respectively. 

For the 2023-24 school year, shares of those grades in county public schools meeting standard recovered, climbing to 33% and 49%, respectively. The results are still considerably below state average shares, however. 

To simplify the graph, click off those items in the legend you want to hide. 

In EQUITY, INCLUSION:

The share of the county population facing food insecurity remains elevated.

A person facing insufficient or intermittent food availability simply doesn’t function as well as one who is well-fed. This metric, provided by Feeding America, gives estimates of the shares of the total county and the youth populations with insufficient food supplies. After dipping during the early part of the pandemic, the shares of both groups have now risen. For the most recent 5-year period with data (2019-2023),1/6 and 1/5 of the total and the youth populations, respectively, are estimated to be food insecure. 

Both groups show higher shares than either in the nation or the state. 

To simplify the graph, click off those items in the legend you want to hide. 

In HEALTH:

Life expectancy at birth has rebounded but lies still below pre-pandemic levels.

Perhaps the most summary measure of the state of population health, life expectancy at birth, assumes that current mortality rates by age will continue over the lifetime of a child born today. The mortality rates encompass many factors – access to care, quality of care, disease incidence, and most recently, a pandemic’s effect. 

In 2023, the most recent year for which data are available, the county’s life expectancy was 77.0 years. This represents an increase over the prior year, and for that matter over each of the three prior years. But as the graph shows, the current value is still below the pre-pandemic level of 78.8 years (2019). While Yakima County has historically matched U.S. life expectancy, it now lies well below that national average. And even more so when compared to the state. 

The share of adults diagnosed with diabetes has risen slightly.

Diabetes can occur in childhood (type 1) or become an adult-onset disease (type 2). This measure tracks the latter. Acquiring diabetes brings substantial health risks, such as stubborn wounds, possible amputation of extremities and early death. 

For the most recent year with available data, 2022, the share of all adults in the county was estimated to be slightly over 12%. This value is in keeping with recent experience but represents an increase from a decade ago. The local rate is and has been elevated compared to the state. 

In HOUSING:

The county’s median home resale price, has it plateaued?

A home is the most significant purchase in most people’s lives. Owning home has been long touted as part of the “American dream”. But to realize that dream, the price must be right. This indicator considers quarterly prices of the median (not average) house that has already been built.   

For the most recent available quarter (1st of this year), the median in the county was slightly more than $368,000. This value represents a decline from about a year ago. However, compared to five years ago (Q1 2020), the median has shot up by over $100,000! Note that the median resale house price here is still far lower than the median statewide, currently at $674,000. 

last updated 08.26.25