Richland receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Pasco
Richland
Opportunity
63 · Top 35%
vs71 · Top 21%
Growth
76 · Top 9%
vs82 · Top 4%
Climate
63 · Bottom 29%
vs63 · Bottom 29%
Physical resilience
21 · Bottom 15%
vs47 · Bottom 39%
Housing affordability
84 · Top 44%
vs82 · Top 49%
Access
55 · Bottom 5%
vs56 · Bottom 6%
Economic stability
63 · Top 45%
vs61 · Top 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Pasco | Richland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 79,575 | 62,753 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $85,586 | $95,813 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,707 | $52,563 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,042/sq mi | 1,478/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $376,300 | $436,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,227 | $1,468 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.9% | 64.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.4% | 46.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.6% | 9.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 821 | 790 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 10.3 | 12.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 12.3% | 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 | 66 mi | 64 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.2 min | 22.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 30.3 | 36.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 30 | 17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.59 | 20.53 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 69.3% | 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
Pasco
Elevated or high exposure: heat wave, inland flooding, earthquake.
Richland
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, heat wave, earthquake.
Full profiles: Pasco, WA · Richland, WA · How this is calculated: methodology