Richland receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Richland
Pasco
Opportunity
71 · Top 21%
vs63 · Top 35%
Growth
82 · Top 4%
vs76 · Top 9%
Climate
63 · Bottom 29%
vs63 · Bottom 29%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 39%
vs21 · Bottom 15%
Housing affordability
82 · Top 49%
vs84 · Top 44%
Access
56 · Bottom 6%
vs55 · Bottom 5%
Economic stability
61 · Top 49%
vs63 · Top 45%
Measured values
| Metric | Richland | Pasco | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 62,753 | 79,575 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $95,813 | $85,586 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,563 | $33,707 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,478/sq mi | 2,042/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $436,700 | $376,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,468 | $1,227 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 64.4% | 70.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.6% | 21.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.0% | 12.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 790 | 821 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 12.6 | 10.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 32.6% | 12.3% | 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 | 64 mi | 66 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.0 min | 24.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.4 | 30.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 17 | 30 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.53 | 17.59 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 40.6% | 69.3% | 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
Richland
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, heat wave, earthquake.
Pasco
Elevated or high exposure: heat wave, inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: Richland, WA · Pasco, WA · How this is calculated: methodology