Richland receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Kennewick
Richland
Opportunity
61 · Top 39%
vs71 · Top 21%
Growth
71 · Top 15%
vs82 · Top 4%
Climate
63 · Bottom 29%
vs63 · Bottom 29%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 39%
vs47 · Bottom 39%
Housing affordability
72 · Bottom 37%
vs82 · Top 49%
Access
52 · Bottom 4%
vs56 · Bottom 6%
Economic stability
49 · Bottom 30%
vs61 · Top 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Kennewick | Richland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 85,295 | 62,753 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $73,576 | $95,813 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,776 | $52,563 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,992/sq mi | 1,478/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $370,700 | $436,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,240 | $1,468 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.3% | 64.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.2% | 46.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.3% | 9.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 604 | 790 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.1 | 12.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 1.2% | 32.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 28°F | 28°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 7.6" | 7.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 70 mi | 64 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.1 min | 22.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.7 | 36.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 25 | 17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.48 | 20.53 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 54.6% | 40.6% | 2024-25 school 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
Kennewick
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, heat wave, earthquake.
Richland
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, heat wave, earthquake.
Full profiles: Kennewick, WA · Richland, WA · How this is calculated: methodology