Grand Island receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Grand Island
Yakima
Opportunity
65 · Top 30%
vs47 · Bottom 31%
Growth
63 · Top 29%
vs55 · Top 42%
Climate
60 · Bottom 24%
vs64 · Bottom 42%
Physical resilience
26 · Bottom 14%
vs31 · Bottom 21%
Housing affordability
99 · Top 34%
vs82 · Bottom 23%
Access
42 · Bottom 7%
vs43 · Bottom 8%
Economic stability
80 · Top 15%
vs61 · Top 37%
Measured values
| Metric | Grand Island | Yakima | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 76,794 | 257,152 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $69,704 | $70,656 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,933 | $30,448 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 48/sq mi | 60/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $218,400 | $310,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $929 | $1,109 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.5% | 61.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 4.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.6% | -0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.5% | 19.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.7% | 15.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 279 | 683 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.6 | 2.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 58.5% | 7.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 26.6" | 8.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 86 mi | 85 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.7 min | 21.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.0 | 33.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Grand Island
Elevated or high exposure: hail, strong wind, tornado.
Yakima
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, cold wave, earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Grand Island
62
Your Score
61
Area Score
Yakima
55
Your Score
53
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Grand Island, NE Metro Area · Yakima, WA Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology