Yakima, Washington

Yakima is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the state's 11th most populous city. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The unincorporated suburban areas of West Valley and Terrace Heights are considered a part of greater Yakima.
Yakima is about southeast of Mount Rainier in Washington. It is situated in the Yakima Valley, a productive agricultural region noted for apple, wine, and hop production. As of 2011, the Yakima Valley produces 77% of all hops grown in the United States. The name Yakima originates from the Yakama Nation Native American tribe, whose reservation is located south of the city.

History

The Yakama people were the first known inhabitants of the Yakima Valley. In 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition came to the area and encountered abundant wildlife and rich soil, prompting the settlement of homesteaders. A Catholic Mission was established in Ahtanum, southwest of present-day Yakima, in 1847. The arrival of settlers and their conflicts with the natives resulted in the Yakima War. The U.S. Army established Fort Simcoe in 1856 near present-day White Swan as a response to the uprising. The Yakamas were defeated and forced to relocate to the Yakama Indian Reservation.
Yakima County was created in 1867. When bypassed by the Northern Pacific Railroad in December 1884, over 100 buildings were moved with rollers and horse teams to the nearby site of the depot. The new city was dubbed North Yakima and was officially incorporated and named the county seat on January 27, 1886. The name was changed to Yakima in 1918. Union Gap was the new name given to the original site of Yakima.
On May 18, 1980, the eruption of Mount St. Helens caused a large amount of volcanic ash to fall on the Yakima area. Visibility was reduced to near-zero conditions that afternoon, and the ash overloaded the city's wastewater treatment plant.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which is land and, or 1.84% is water. Yakima is 1,095 feet above mean sea level.
The city of Yakima is located in the Upper Valley of Yakima County. The county is geographically divided by Ahtanum Ridge and Rattlesnake Ridge into two regions: the Upper and Lower valleys. Yakima is located in the more urbanized Upper Valley, and is the central city of the Yakima Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The unincorporated suburban areas of West Valley and Terrace Heights are considered a part of greater Yakima. Other nearby cities include Moxee, Tieton, Cowiche, Wiley City, Tampico, Gleed, and Naches in the Upper Valley, as well as Wapato, Toppenish, Zillah, Harrah, White Swan, Parker, Buena, Outlook, Granger, Mabton, Sunnyside, and Grandview in the Lower Valley.

Bodies of water

The Yakima River runs through the city from its source at Lake Keechelus in the Cascade Range to the Columbia River at Richland. It is the primary irrigation source for the Yakima Valley and also used for both fishing and recreation. The Naches River, a tributary of the Yakima River, forms the northern border of the city.
The Yakima Greenway is a system of parks, paved pathways, and nature reserves along the Yakima and Naches rivers. The community project was formed in 1983 with work to reclaim a former city landfill into a park, which opened in 1990 as Sarg Hubbard Park.
Several small lakes flank the northern edge of the city, including Myron Lake, Lake Aspen, Bergland Lake and Rotary Lake. These lakes are popular with fishermen and swimmers during the summer.

Climate

Yakima has a cold semi-arid climate with a Mediterranean precipitation pattern. Winters are cold, with December the coolest month, with a mean temperature of. Annual average snowfall is, with most occurring in December and January, when the snow depth averages. There are 18.9 days per year in which the high does not surpass freezing, and 1.6 mornings where the low is or lower. Springtime warming is very gradual, with the average last freeze of the season May 13. Summer days are hot, but the diurnal temperature variation is large, averaging in July, sometimes reaching as high as during that season; there are 40.2 afternoons of maxima reaching or greater annually and 5.7 afternoons of maxima. Autumn cooling is very rapid, with the average first freeze of the season occurring on September 30. Due to the city's location in a rain shadow, precipitation, at an average of annually, is low year-round, but especially during summer. Extreme temperatures have ranged from on February 1, 1950, to on June 29, 2021.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 96,968 people, 35,752 households, 22,858 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 37,192 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 51.80% White, 1.45% African American, 2.53% Native American, 1.46% Asian, 0.18% Pacific Islander, 27.66% from some other races and 14.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 45.46% of the population.
Of the 35,752 households, 32.6% had children under the age of 18; 42.8% were married couples living together; 31.1% had a female householder with no husband present. Of all households, 29.1% consisted of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.7 and the average family size was 3.4.
27.3% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 96.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 95.7 males.
The 2018–2022 five-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $55,734 and the median family income $57,296. Males had a median income of $31,188 versus $26,018 for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $28,697. Approximately, 14.7% of families and 19.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.4% of those under the age of 18 and 10.0% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 91,067 people with 33,074 households, and 21,411 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 34,829 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 67.1% White, 1.7% African American, 2.0% Native American, 1.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 23.3% from some other races and 4.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 41.3% of the population. 19.1% of the population had a bachelor's degree or higher.
There were 33,074 households, of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.3% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.3.
People under the age of 18 accounted for 28.3% of the population, while 13.1% were 65 years or older. The median age was 33.9 years, and 50.7% of the population was female.
The median household income was $39,706. The per capita income was $20,771. 21.3% of the population were below the poverty line.

Economy

Yakima's growth in the 20th century was fueled primarily by agriculture. The Yakima Valley produces many fruit crops, including apples, peaches, pears, cherries, and melons. Many vegetables are also produced, including peppers, corn and beans. Most of the nation's hops, a key ingredient in the production of beer, are also grown in the Yakima Valley. Many of the city's residents have come to the valley out of economic necessity and to participate in the picking, processing, marketing and support services for the agricultural economy.

Top employers

According to the City's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are:

#	Employer	Industry	# of Employees	Percentage
1	Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital	Health Care	2,500	1.9%
2	Walmart	Department store	1,700	1.3%
3	Yakima School District, No. 7	Education	1,594	1.2%
4	Zirkle Fruit	Fruit processing	1,500	1.1%
5	Washington Fruit & Produce	Fruit processing	1,500	1.1%
6	Yakama Nation Government Operations	Government	1,289	1.0%
7	Borton Fruit	Fruit processing	1,212	0.9%
8	Astria Health	Health Care	1,200	0.9%
9	Yakama Nation Enterprises	Enterprise	1,170	0.9%
10	Yakima County	County Government	1,074	0.8%
—	Total employers	—	14,739	11.1%

Downtown Yakima, long the retail hub of the region, has undergone many changes since the late 1990s. Three major department stores, and an entire shopping mall that is now closed, have been replaced by a Whirlpool Corporation facility, an Adaptis call center, and several hotels. The region's retail core has shifted to the town of Union Gap to a renovated shopping mall and other new retail businesses. The Downtown Futures Initiative promotes the downtown area as a center for events, services, entertainment, and small, personal shopping experiences. The DFI has provided for street-to-storefront remodeling along Yakima Avenue throughout the entire downtown core, and includes new pedestrian-friendly lighting, water fountains, planters, banner poles, new trees and hanging baskets, and paver-inlaid sidewalks.
Events held downtown include Yakima Downtown New Year's Eve, a Cinco de Mayo celebration, Yakima Live music festival, Yakima Summer Kickoff Party, Fresh Hop Ale Fest, a weekly Farmers' Market, and the Hot Shots 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament.
Over ninety wineries are in the Yakima Valley.
The Yakima Training Center, between Yakima and Ellensburg, is a United States Army training center. It is used primarily for maneuver training and land warrior system testing, and has a live-fire area. Artillery units from the Canadian Armed Forces based in British Columbia, as well as the Japan Ground Self Defense Force, conduct annual training in Yakima. Japanese soldiers train there because it allows for large-scale live-fire maneuvers not available in Japan. Similarly, it is the closest impact area for the Canadian Gunners, the next closest being in Wainwright, Alberta.