Yakima County

Yakima County, Washington — Key Demographics

Population size

• 261,700 (July 1, 2024 estimate, U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program)

Age

• Median age: 33.0 years
• Under 18: 29.4%
• 65 and over: 15.1%

Gender

• Male: 50.4%
• Female: 49.6%

Racial/ethnic composition (Hispanic is an ethnicity; shares shown are of total population)

• Hispanic or Latino (any race): 51.6%
• White alone, non-Hispanic: 41.0%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone, non-Hispanic: 3.1%
• Asian alone, non-Hispanic: 1.2%
• Black or African American alone, non-Hispanic: 1.0%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander alone, non-Hispanic: 0.2%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: 2.0%

Household data

• Households: 88,600
• Average household size: 3.17 persons
• Family households: 73% of households
• Married-couple families: 48% of households
• Households with children under 18: 38%
• Homeownership rate: 64%
• Average family size: 3.7 persons

Insights

• Yakima County is majority Hispanic and markedly younger than the U.S. and Washington state averages.
• Larger household and family sizes, plus a high share of households with children, characterize the county’s household structure.

Sources and years: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates Program (population); 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (age, sex, race/ethnicity, households).

• Population and density: Yakima County has about 261,000 residents across roughly 4,300 square miles (≈60 people per square mile).
• Estimated email users: ≈190,000 residents use email regularly. Method: apply high U.S. email adoption rates (≈90%+ among adults; mid‑80% among teens) to Yakima’s age structure.
• Age distribution of email users (approximate share of all users):
  • 13–17: 9%
  • 18–29: 22%
  • 30–49: 33%
  • 50–64: 21%
  • 65+: 15%
• Gender split: Roughly even (about 50% women, 50% men), reflecting minimal gender differences in U.S. email adoption.
• Digital access and connectivity:
  • About 80–85% of Yakima County households subscribe to home broadband (ACS 2018–2022), below the Washington state average, indicating an urban–rural adoption gap.
  • A notable minority are smartphone‑only internet users, which can limit long‑form email use and attachments compared with home broadband.
  • Fiber and fixed‑wireless coverage have expanded, but remote agricultural areas still face coverage and affordability constraints, shaping email access patterns.
• Key insight: Email penetration is very high among working‑age adults and younger residents; the main limiter is infrastructure and affordability in rural zones, not user preference, so improvements in last‑mile broadband and device access will yield the largest gains in email engagement.

Mobile phone usage in Yakima County, Washington — summary and key differences from the state

At-a-glance metrics (most recent public datasets, primarily ACS 2018–2022 and Pew 2023, with county-level figures where available)

• Population and households: ~260,000 residents; ~86,000 households.
• Households with at least one smartphone: ~91% in Yakima County (vs ~94% statewide).
• Cellular-data-only internet (households that rely solely on a mobile data plan for home internet): ~12% in Yakima County (vs ~7% statewide).
• Households with no internet subscription: ~12% in Yakima County (vs ~6% statewide).
• Broadband subscription of any type (fixed or cellular): ~88% in Yakima County (vs ~92% statewide).

User estimates (2023)

• Adult smartphone users: ~162,000 adults in Yakima County (estimate based on ~190,000 adults and ~85% adult smartphone adoption).
• Households with at least one smartphone: ~78,000 households (91% of ~86,000).
• Smartphone-dependent (cellular-only) households: ~10,000–11,000 households (about 12% of households).

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Ethnicity: Yakima County is majority Hispanic/Latino (about half of the population, much higher than the state average). Hispanic households here are more likely to be smartphone-dependent for internet access than non-Hispanic White households, a gap that is wider than the statewide gap due to income, housing, and rural location factors.
• Age: The county skews younger than Washington overall. High smartphone adoption among 18–29 is comparable to statewide levels, but older adults (65+) have lower smartphone adoption and are more likely to have voice/text–centric usage or share devices with family.
• Income and education: Lower median household income than the state correlates with higher reliance on prepaid plans and discount brands (e.g., Metro by T-Mobile, Cricket, Boost) and a higher share of Android devices than in metro Puget Sound.
• Language and apps: Higher Spanish-speaking population drives above-average use of OTT messaging (WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger) and social platforms for communication, commerce, and community news; SMS and voice remain critical for work coordination in agriculture.
• Rural vs. urban: Outside Yakima, Sunnyside, Grandview, Selah, and Toppenish, rural communities show higher rates of cellular-only internet and more frequent use of mobile hotspots and signal boosters, reflecting patchy fixed broadband and terrain-limited coverage.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Coverage pattern: Strongest LTE/5G coverage along the I-82 corridor (Yakima–Sunnyside–Grandview) and in the Yakima urban area. Coverage degrades in canyons, foothills, and forested areas to the west and southeast; valley floors and orchards can see sector congestion during peak seasons.
• 5G: Mid-band 5G is present in and around Yakima and along major highways but is less continuous countywide than in Puget Sound counties; low-band 5G and LTE carry much of the rural footprint.
• Carriers: All three national carriers operate in the county. T-Mobile’s low-band spectrum (600 MHz) underpins broad rural reach; Verizon and AT&T provide strong highway and town coverage with ongoing upgrades tied to C-band and FirstNet, respectively. Tribal lands and remote stretches (e.g., segments off SR-24 and US-12/SR-410 corridors) continue to experience gaps or lower throughput.
• Capacity and seasonality: Network load increases during harvest and major events; carriers augment capacity with additional sectors or temporary cells where needed. Wildfire incidents can impair service in affected corridors, prompting temporary deployments.
• Public safety and access: Text-to-911 is supported countywide. Libraries, schools, and community centers provide Wi‑Fi access that complements smartphone connectivity for tasks that require larger screens.

How Yakima County differs from Washington State

• More smartphone-dependent households: Cellular-only access is notably higher (about 12% vs ~7% statewide), reflecting lower fixed-broadband availability and affordability in rural and lower-income areas.
• Slightly lower household smartphone penetration: Yakima (91%) trails the state (94%) but compensates with heavier reliance on mobile for primary internet.
• Greater rural coverage challenges: Terrain and distance create more dead zones and capacity pinch points than the state average, keeping low-band LTE/5G especially important.
• More prepaid and budget plans: A larger share of users choose prepaid/MVNO options, with a device mix that skews more Android than in higher-income, metro counties.
• Younger and more Hispanic user base: Communication patterns feature higher use of OTT messaging and social platforms, with mobile devices serving as the primary computing device more often than at the state level.

Implications

• Service plans with generous mobile hotspot data and multilingual support see strong local fit.
• Continued 5G mid-band buildout and rural fill-ins (especially on tribal lands and foothills) would materially improve reliability and reduce smartphone-only dependency.
• Digital inclusion efforts that bundle affordable fixed service with device support and Spanish-language outreach will have outsized impact compared with the state average.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2018–2022 (S2801: Computer and Internet Use) for household smartphone, broadband, and cellular-only metrics; Pew Research Center 2023 for adult smartphone adoption benchmarks; FCC mobile coverage filings and carrier public network updates for qualitative infrastructure patterns.

Social media in Yakima County, WA (2025 snapshot)

Headline user stats

• Population: ~260,000; adults (18+): ~178,000
• Any social platform (adults): ~84% use at least one platform

Most‑used platforms (share of adult residents)

• YouTube: ~86%
• Facebook: ~72%
• Instagram: ~54%
• WhatsApp: ~41%
• TikTok: ~40%
• Snapchat: ~35%
• X (Twitter): ~21%
• LinkedIn: ~20%
• Nextdoor: ~11%

Age groups (share using any social platform)

• 13–17: ~95%
• 18–29: ~96%
• 30–49: ~90%
• 50–64: ~78%
• 65+: ~65%

Gender breakdown

• Overall social users: ~51% women, ~49% men
• Platform skews: women over‑indexed on Instagram (+8 pp), TikTok (+10 pp), Snapchat (+14 pp), Facebook (+6 pp); men over‑indexed on YouTube (+8 pp) and X (+20 pp)

Behavioral trends and local nuances

• Bilingual engagement: With roughly half of residents Hispanic/Latino, Spanish and bilingual posts materially lift reach and shares; WhatsApp and Facebook are primary for Spanish‑dominant audiences
• Community and commerce: Facebook Groups and Marketplace drive discovery and conversions for local services, agriculture, and buy/sell; event promotion (school sports, fairs) performs strongly
• Video‑first consumption: Short vertical video (Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts) outperforms static; captions/subtitles in English and Spanish are expected
• Messaging funnel: High reliance on DMs/WhatsApp for inquiries, quotes, and scheduling; quick responses increase conversion
• Mobile‑first access: Many users are smartphone‑only; concise creatives, click‑to‑message CTAs, and lightweight landing pages perform best
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends; seasonal spikes around harvest, school calendar, and the Central Washington State Fair
• Trust signals: Local faces, schools, churches, and community orgs act as credible amplifiers; UGC and testimonials outperform polished ads

Note on figures: Percentages are 2025 estimates modeled from Pew Research’s 2024 U.S. platform usage, 2023 ACS demographics for Yakima County, and known platform skews among Hispanic/Latino users; values are adjusted to local age mix and are rounded for clarity.