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
Sunnyside
Opportunity
71 · Top 21%
vs52 · Bottom 42%
Growth
82 · Top 4%
vs68 · Top 19%
Climate
63 · Bottom 29%
vs65 · Bottom 35%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 39%
vs40 · Bottom 31%
Housing affordability
82 · Top 49%
vs84 · Top 44%
Access
56 · Bottom 6%
vs52 · Bottom 4%
Economic stability
61 · Top 49%
vs51 · Bottom 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Richland | Sunnyside | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 62,753 | 16,277 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $95,813 | $60,923 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,563 | $20,296 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,478/sq mi | 2,155/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $436,700 | $240,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,468 | $1,026 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 64.4% | 55.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.6% | 9.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.0% | 18.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 790 | 78 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 12.6 | 4.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 32.6% | 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 | 64 mi | 70 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.0 min | 25.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.4 | 27.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 17 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.53 | 18.52 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 40.6% | 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
Richland
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, heat wave, earthquake.
Sunnyside
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake, heat wave.
Full profiles: Richland, WA · Sunnyside, WA · How this is calculated: methodology