Yakima County Demographics

A map of Yakima County's Population by Race

Yakima County, Washington has an estimated population of 257,152, a less than 1% change from the 256,728 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 52.4% Hispanic, 39.4% White, 3.5% Multiracial, 3.1% Native American/Other, 1.1% Asian, and 0.6% Black. This demographic dot map shows the population of Yakima County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Yakima has become slightly less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is about as diverse as Washington overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Yakima County, that probability was 57.8% in 2020 and 56.9% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Yakima County is ranked the 8th most populous county in Washington, out of 39 counties. Yakima County was ranked the 8th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Yakima County's White Population

101,208 residents of Yakima County, or 39.4% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Yakima County is significantly lower than in Washington overall, where 63.1% of the population is White. Yakima County ranks 37th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Yakima County's White population has declined by an estimated 2.3%. White residents' share of Yakima County's population has decreased from 40.3% to 39.4%.

Yakima County is less White than neighboring Klickitat County (78.8% White), Kittitas County (79.3% White), Sherman County (85.4% White), Gilliam County (80% White), and Benton County (64.6% White).

Yakima County's Black Population

1,628 residents of Yakima County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Yakima County is slightly lower than in Washington overall, where 3.8% of the population is Black. Yakima County ranks 19th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Yakima County's Black population has declined by an estimated 5.2%. Black residents' share of Yakima County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Yakima County is more Black than neighboring Klickitat County (0.3% Black), Sherman County (0.5% Black), and Gilliam County (0% Black). Yakima County is less Black than neighboring Kittitas County (1.1% Black), and Benton County (1.6% Black).

Yakima County's Asian Population

2,861 residents of Yakima County, or 1.1% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Yakima County is lower than in Washington overall, where 9.7% of the population is Asian. Yakima County ranks 24th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Yakima County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 2.7%. Asian residents' share of Yakima County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.1%.

Yakima County is more Asian than neighboring Klickitat County (0.8% Asian), Sherman County (0.3% Asian), and Gilliam County (0% Asian). Yakima County is less Asian than neighboring Kittitas County (1.7% Asian), and Benton County (3% Asian).

Yakima County's Hispanic Population

134,645 residents of Yakima County, or 52.4% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Yakima County is significantly higher than in Washington overall, where 14.4% of the population is Hispanic. Yakima County ranks 3rd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Yakima County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 3.5%. Hispanic residents' share of Yakima County's population has increased from 50.7% to 52.4%.

Yakima County is more Hispanic than neighboring Klickitat County (13.2% Hispanic), Kittitas County (10.5% Hispanic), Sherman County (4.4% Hispanic), Gilliam County (9.4% Hispanic), and Benton County (25.6% Hispanic).

Yakima County's Native American/Other Population

7,901 residents of Yakima County, or 3.1% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Yakima County is comparable to the share in Washington overall, where 2.1% of the population is Native American/Other. Yakima County ranks 6th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Yakima County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 25.6%. Native American/Other residents' share of Yakima County's population has decreased from 4.1% to 3.1%.

Yakima County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Klickitat County (2.2% Native American/Other), Kittitas County (1.3% Native American/Other), Sherman County (0.7% Native American/Other), Gilliam County (2.7% Native American/Other), and Benton County (1.3% Native American/Other).

Yakima County's Multiracial Population

8,909 residents of Yakima County, or 3.5% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Yakima County is slightly lower than in Washington overall, where 6.8% of the population is Multiracial. Yakima County ranks 37th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Yakima County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 11.7%. Multiracial residents' share of Yakima County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.5%.

Yakima County is less Multiracial than neighboring Klickitat County (4.7% Multiracial), Kittitas County (6.1% Multiracial), Sherman County (8.8% Multiracial), Gilliam County (7.9% Multiracial), and Benton County (3.9% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.