Kennewick receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Kennewick
Sunnyside
Opportunity
61 · Top 39%
vs52 · Bottom 42%
Growth
71 · Top 15%
vs68 · Top 19%
Climate
63 · Bottom 29%
vs65 · Bottom 35%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 39%
vs40 · Bottom 31%
Housing affordability
72 · Bottom 37%
vs84 · Top 44%
Access
52 · Bottom 4%
vs52 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
49 · Bottom 30%
vs51 · Bottom 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Kennewick | Sunnyside | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 85,295 | 16,277 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $73,576 | $60,923 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,776 | $20,296 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,992/sq mi | 2,155/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $370,700 | $240,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,240 | $1,026 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.3% | 55.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.2% | 9.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.3% | 18.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 604 | 78 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.1 | 4.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 1.2% | 110.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 28°F | 23°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 7.6" | 7.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 70 mi | 70 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.1 min | 25.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.7 | 27.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 25 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.48 | 18.52 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 54.6% | 85.5% | 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.
Sunnyside
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake, heat wave.
Full profiles: Kennewick, WA · Sunnyside, WA · How this is calculated: methodology