CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

46.55° N · 120.49° W · GEOID 5373290

Union Gap

Yakima County, Washington · part of the Yakima, WA metro

WashingtonUnion Gap, WAUnion GapUnion Gap

The short answer

Union Gap is home to 6,584 people. Median household income is $59,651 a year and median rent is $1,133 a month, 22.8% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $210,600, about 3.5x annual median household income.

Union Gap has an unusual mix of residents. 4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 190 Washington places we track. Also notable: Unemployment averaged 13.4% over the survey period, higher than in 95% of places its size. It is the highest of 163 Washington places we track.

33OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Below average

Union Gap scores better than 33% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 125th of 190 in Washington.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%45
Economy 20%12
Safety 20%36
Amenities 15%77
Education 10%0
Commute 10%95
Growth 5%74
Median gross rent
$1,133
17% below the median place
Median household income
$59,651
26% below the median place
Median home value
$210,600
34% below the median place
Unemployment
13.4%
175% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Union Gap

  • Affordability39% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 78% of the 2,214 places under 10,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Union Gap

Yakima County loses about 5.8 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in5,564
Moved out6,804
Net−1,240

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Washington, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within WashingtonOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$56K
Leavers$54K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Yakima County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
2.6% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.8% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Yakima County report $55,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $54,200.
Income you would need
$45,300 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,133 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,660 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $210,600.
Getting to work
16 minutes each way on average; 7.3% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Russellville, AL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
2.6%
54% below the median place
Moved from another state1
0.8%
62% below the median place
Income of households moving out7
$54,223
23% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureUnion GapAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure2.6%54% below
Moved from another state1County figure0.8%62% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-5.8below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$55,60921% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$54,22323% below
02

What it costs to live here

After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $45,900 a year, less than in 83% of the 1,875 places under 10,000 people we track.

Union Gap22.8%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$45,320
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
22.8%
12% above the median place
Home price to income
3.5x
7% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
23%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$46,300
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Union Gap, $1,133 a month, and local prices for everything else (100.2 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Union Gap, but easier on the budget

Places that match Union Gap on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Russellville, AL8814.1% vs 22.8%n/aCompare
Connell, WA8715.6% vs 22.8%$18,900Compare
Preston, ID8615.9% vs 22.8%$7,000Compare
Madras, OR8618.2% vs 22.8%$5,800Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Union Gap.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Union Gap? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
38.7%
23% below the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$1,777
46% below the median place
Median home value1
$210,600
34% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureUnion GapAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,13317% below
Rent to income122.8%12% above
Property tax rate10.8%8% below
Home price to income13.5x7% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure95.55% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,31319% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,77746% below
Median home value1$210,60034% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure3.6%14% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure45.0%13% below
Homeownership161.7%7% below
Renters paying 30%+138.7%23% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,66011% below
Vacant homes1County figure5.1%28% below
Median year built119710% below
03

Work and pay

Compared with the 18 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Calipatria, CA, Gridley, CA and Connell, WA), unemployment here is higher: 13.4% against a typical 9.6%.

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Unemployment1
13.4%
175% above the median place
Income per person1
$23,706
41% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Mean commute16 min −35%
Median household income$59,651 −26%
Poverty rate13.8% +28%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureUnion GapAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$59,65126% below
Income per person1$23,70641% below
Unemployment113.4%175% above
Average annual pay5County figure$53,73919% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure3.1%16% below
Jobs5County figure115,43523% below
Poverty rate113.8%28% above
Mean commute116 min35% below
Works from home1County figure7.3%41% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Households average 2.92 people, larger than than in 85% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.

Bachelor's or higher1
4.4%
86% below the median place
High school or higher1
68.2%
26% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
85.7%
7% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

No health insurance13.5% 2.1×
Household size2.9 +17%
Median age34.5 −12%
Born abroad19.4% 2.2×
All 9 people measures
MeasureUnion GapAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population16,5845604th largest
Population change since 202060.2%82% below
Median age134.512% below
Bachelor's or higher14.4%86% below
High school or higher168.2%26% below
Household size12.917% above
Born abroad119.4%120% above
No health insurance113.5%111% above
Homes with broadband185.7%7% below
05

Life in Union Gap

The nearest National Park Service site is Mount Rainier Wilderness, about 61 miles away.

3 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Kamiakin's Gardens listed 1976
  • McAllister, Alexander, House listed 1990
  • Carmichael, Elizabeth Loudon, House listed 1991

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents15.2 +49%
Playgrounds per 10k18.2 +94%
Grocery stores per 10k4.6 2.2×
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k42.5 3.8×
Libraries per 10k3.0 3.5×
Named paths and bike trails1 km −40%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi1.6 7.7×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Mount Rainier Wilderness 61 miles
  • Mount Rainier National Park 63 miles
  • Whitman Mission National Historic Site 103 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars19.4 −7%
Shops27.5 −9%
Arts, recreation and fitness2.7 −34%
Doctors' offices and clinics14.5 −28%
Child care centers4.4 +91%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools13
1
89% below the median place
Public school students13
558
89% below the median place
Nearest National Park Service site10
60.9
98% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureUnion GapAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools13189% below
Public school students1355889% below
Students per teacher1315.51% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure19.47% below
Shops per 10k8County figure27.59% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure2.734% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure14.528% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure4.491% above
Parks per 10k915.249% above
Playgrounds per 10k918.294% above
Grocery stores per 10k94.6115% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k942.5281% above
Libraries per 10k93.0249% above
Named paths and bike trails91.240% below
Transit stops per sq mi91.6above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1060.998% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles100below (median 2)
National Register listings11377% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 106, 45% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
106
45% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
6,147
above the median place (median 1,213)
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Tornado risk15
19.5
76% below the median place
Wildfire risk15
98.9
62% above the median place
Average temperature14
47°F
15% below the median place
All 10 weather and risk measures
MeasureUnion GapAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high14County figure81°F7% below
January average low14County figure25°F3% below
Average temperature14County figure47°F15% below
Annual precipitation14County figure26.4 in40% below
Natural hazard risk15County figure94.02% above
Tornado risk15County figure19.576% below
Wildfire risk15County figure98.962% above
Heat wave risk15County figure93.54% above
Median air quality index16County figure415% below
Good air days16County figure61.9%10% below
08

Union Gap in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 23% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 23% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Union Gap does better than 43% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 93%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,133/mo (2024)$1,460/mo$1,200 to $1,780/mo+4.3%
Median household income$59,651 (2024)$76,000$64,500 to $90,000+4.2%
Median home value$210,600 (2024)$317,000$230,000 to $436,000+7.0%
Population6,617 (2025)6,6706,400 to 6,960+0.2%

The median home would be worth 4.2 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.5 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Union Gap

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Corcoran, CA$1,160$59,905Compare
Freeport, TX$1,176$61,134Compare
Lake Station, IN$1,124$59,591Compare
Avenal, CA$1,015$54,741Compare
Avenal, CALake Station, INFreeport, TXCorcoran, CAUnion Gap, WAUnion GapCorcoranFreeportLake StationAvenalUnion GapCorcoranFreeportLake StationAvenal

Places built like Union Gap

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Union Gap performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Union Gap, WA22.8%7.6%/yr0.2%
Calipatria, CA20.7%7.6%/yr-9.7%Compare
Gridley, CA24.3%4.5%/yr-2.6%Compare
Connell, WA15.6%8.7%/yr-6.7%Compare
Colusa, CA19.1%6.8%/yr1.8%Compare
Hilmar-Irwin, CA23.1%3.5%/yrn/aCompare
Shelton, WA23.5%11.3%/yr5.3%Compare

Common questions

Is Union Gap a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 33 out of 100, better than 33% of the places we rate and 125th of 190 in Washington. 39% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 78% of the 2,214 places under 10,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 49 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Union Gap expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 22.8% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $210,600.

What salary do you need to live in Union Gap?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $45,320 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Union Gap safe?

There were 106 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Union Gap?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Corcoran, CA, Freeport, TX, Lake Station, IN and Avenal, CA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  13. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  14. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  15. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  16. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Union Gap with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Union Gap itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/union-gap-washington

Citytistics. “Union Gap, Washington.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/union-gap-washington/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.