Yakima and Albany receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Yakima
Albany
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 31%
vs46 · Bottom 30%
Growth
55 · Top 42%
vs56 · Top 40%
Climate
64 · Bottom 42%
vs68 · Top 44%
Physical resilience
31 · Bottom 21%
vs31 · Bottom 21%
Housing affordability
82 · Bottom 23%
vs72 · Bottom 14%
Access
43 · Bottom 8%
vs74 · Bottom 47%
Economic stability
61 · Top 37%
vs64 · Top 33%
Measured values
| Metric | Yakima | Albany | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 257,152 | 130,706 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $70,656 | $76,329 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $30,448 | $34,924 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 60/sq mi | 57/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $310,100 | $376,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,109 | $1,320 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.8% | 66.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 5.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.2% | 0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.2% | 21.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.5% | 13.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 683 | 235 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 7.2% | 27.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 79°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 8.0" | 63.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 85 mi | 42 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.7 min | 26.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.3 | 40.1 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Yakima
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, cold wave, earthquake.
Albany
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Yakima, WA Metro Area · Albany, OR Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology