Yakima

Yakima is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, and the state's 11th-largest city by population. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The name Yakima originates from the Yakama Nation Native American tribe, whose reservation is located south of the city. Yakima is situated in the Yakima Valley, a productive agricultural region noted for apple, wine, and hop production. The county is geographically divided by Ahtanum Ridge and Rattlesnake Ridge into two regions: the Upper (northern) and Lower (southern) valleys. 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. On May 18, 1980, the eruption of Mount St. Helens caused a large amount of volcanic ash to fall on the city's wastewater treatment plant. The city has a total area of 27.69 sq mi (71.72 km²), of which 27.18 sq mi. (70.40 km²) is land and 0.51 sq ft (1.32 km 2) is water.

History

Yakima is the primary city name, but also Union Gap are acceptable city names or spellings, East Selah, Sumach, Yakima Firing Center on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The official name is City of Yakima. In 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition discovered abundant wildlife and rich soil. 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 as a response to the uprising. On May 18, 1980, the eruption of Mount St. Helens caused a large amount of volcanic ash to fall on Yakima area. Visibility was reduced to near-zero conditions that afternoon, and the ash overloaded the city's wastewater treatment plant. The name of the city was changed to Yakima in 1918 after Union Gap was the new name given to the original site of Yakima. The city was officially incorporated and named the county seat on January 27, 1886. It was named after the Yakama people, who were the first known inhabitants of the Yakimas Valley. The Yakama were defeated and forced to relocate to the Yakamas Indian Reservation in 1858. The town's name was changed from Yakima to North Yakima after the railroad bypassed the site of the depot in December 1884. In 1918, the name was finally changed back to Yakima after the county was created. It is the only city in Yakima County to have been named after a woman. It has a population of 2,000. The population of the county is 2,200. The county seat is Yakima; the city has a total population of 3,000, with the majority of residents living in the city.

Geography

Yakima has a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk) with a Mediterranean precipitation pattern. Summer days are hot, but the diurnal temperature variation is large, sometimes reaching as high as 50 °F (27.8 °C) during that season. There are 22 days per year in which the high does not surpass freezing, and 2.3 mornings where the low is 0 °F or lower. The city 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 (northern) and Lower (southern) valleys. Yakima is the central city of the Yakima Metropolitan Statistical Area. 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. The Naches River forms the northern border of the city. Several small lakes flank the northern edge of the City, including Myron Lake, Lake Aspen, Bergland Lake (private) and Rotary Lake (also known as Freeway Lake). These lakes are popular with fishermen and swimmers during the summer. The primary irrigation source for the Yakimea Valley is the Yakima River.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 91,067 people with 33,074 households, and 21,411 families residing in the city. 19.1% of the population had a bachelor's degree or higher. The median household income was $39,706. The per capita income is $20,771. The racial makeup of the city was 67.1%. The median age was 33.9 years. The city has a population density of 3,350.5 people per square mile. There were 34,829 housing units at an average density of 1,281.4 per squaremile. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.3. It is the only city in the state with a population of more than 100,000. It has the highest percentage of Hispanic or Latino residents of any U.S. city. It also has the lowest percentage of African-American and Native-American residents in the country. It was the only U. S. city with a high school degree or more. It had the highest proportion of women in the United States, with 50.7% of its population under the age of 25. The U.N. has a high proportion of Hispanic and Latino residents, with 41.3% of their population being Hispanic or Latinos of any race. The state's median age is 33.8 years, and the city's population density is 3.350 people per sq mile. It's the only state in which the median income is less than $30,000 per person.

Economy

The Yakima Valley produces many fruit crops, including apples, peaches, pears, cherries, and melons. Most of the nation's hops, a key ingredient in the production of beer, are also grown there. The Yakima Training Center, between Yakima and Ellensburg, is a U.S. Army training center. Japanese soldiers train there because it allows for large-scale live-fire maneuvers not available in Japan. The Downtown Futures Initiative promotes the downtown area as a center for events, services, entertainment, and small, personal shopping experiences.Events held downtown include Yakima Downtown New Year's Eve, a Cinco de Mayo celebration, Yakima Live music festival, and the Hot Shots 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament. Over fifty wineries are in the Yakima valley. The region's retail core has shifted to the town of Union Gap to a renovated shopping mall and other new retail businesses. It is the closest impact area for the Canadian Gunners, the next closest being in Wainwright, Alberta. The city's growth in the 20th century was fueled primarily by agriculture, and many 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. The town's population has grown significantly since the early 1990s, and is now in the mid- to late-20th century. It has a population of around 4,000. It was once the largest city in Washington state.

Tourism

In the early 2000s, the city of Yakima, in conjunction with multiple city organizations, began revitalization and preservation efforts in its historic downtown area. The Downtown Yakima Futures Initiative was created to make strategic public investments in sidewalks, lighting and landscaping to encourage further development. Local businesses featuring regional produce, wines, and beers, among other products, have returned to the downtown area, many of which are located on Front Street, Yakima Avenue and 1st Street.During the summer, a pair of historic trolleys operate along five miles (8 km) of track of the former Yakima Valley Transportation Company through the Yakima Gap connecting Yakima and Selah. The Yakimas Valley Trolleys organization, incorporated in 2001, operates the trolley and a museum for the City of Yakimea. In the summer of 2013, the Yakimeas will celebrate their 50th anniversary with a celebration of the city's 150th anniversary. The city will also celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2014. The celebration will take place on the anniversary of the opening of the Yakimesa Museum of Art and History. The museum is located on the corner of Front Street and Yakimee Avenue in downtown Yakima. The event will also take place in the spring of 2014, when the city will celebrate the 100th year of the museum's opening. The anniversary will be marked with a fireworks display on the square at the center of the historic downtown. The festival will also feature a fireworks show on the second floor of the downtown Yakimean Building.

Arts and culture

The Yakima Valley Museum houses exhibits related to the region's natural and cultural history. Downtown Yakima's historic Capitol Theatre and Seasons Performance Hall present numerous musical and stage productions. The Yakima Area Arboretum is a botanical garden featuring species of both native and adapted non-native plants. Popular music tours, trade shows, and other large events are hosted at the Yakima SunDome in State Fair Park. Central Washington State Fair, held each year in late September at Statefair Park. Yakima Folklife Festival, held the second week of July at Franklin Park. Fresh Hop Ale Festival,held each October in Downtown Yakima. Yakimas Symphony Orchestra, a symphony orchestra, plays in downtown Yakima. The city is home to the Yakimee High School football team, which won a state championship in 2007. The town is home of the Yakimes High School baseball team, a state champion team in 2008, and a high school football team that won a national championship in 2008. The community is also home to Yakima High School, where the school's football team was a state runner-up in 2008 and 2009. Yakimees high school baseball team is a state winner in 2009 and 2010. The school's basketball team won two state titles in 2010 and 2011, and one in 2011 and 2012, and was runner-ups in 2013 and 2014. The City has a number of minor league sports teams, including minor league baseball, soccer, and basketball.

Government

Yakima is one of the ten first class cities, those with a population over 10,000 at the time of reorganization and operating under a home rule charter. The city council has seven members, elected by district and the mayor is elected by the council members. In 1994 and 2015, the City of Yakima received the All-America City Award, given by the National Civic League. At the national level, Yakima is part of Washington's US Congressional 4th District, currently represented by Republican Dan Newhouse. The current city manager is Alex Meyerhoff, who was hired as an interim manager in November 2019. Yakima's City Manager serves under the direction of the City Council, and administers and coordinates the delivery of municipal services. The citizens of Yakima are represented in the Washington Senate by Republicans Curtis King in District 14, and Jim Honeyford in District 15. The Washington House of Representatives is represented by Republicans Chris Corry and Gina Mosbrucker in District14, and Republicans Bruce Chandler and Jeremie Dufault in districts 15 and 14. Yakimas is a full-service city, providing police, fire, water and wastewater treatment, parks, public works, planning, street maintenance, code enforcement, airport and transit to residents. The City Council was elected at-large until a 2012 lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union was ruled in the favor of Latino constituents on the grounds of racial discrimination. In 2013, the Yakima City Council elected a new city manager.

Education

The city of Yakima has three K12 public school districts, several private schools, and three post-secondary schools. There are four high schools in the Yakima School District:Davis High School, a 4A high school with about 2,100 students;Eisenhower High School;Stanton Academy; andYakima Online High School. Yakima Valley College (YVC) is a public, four-year institution of higher education, and part of one of the most comprehensive community college systems in the nation.Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences opened in the fall of 2008, and graduated its first class of osteopathic physicians (D.O.) in 2012. The first college on the 42.5-acre (172,000 m2) campus is home to the first medical school approved in the Pacific Northwest in over 60 years, and trains physicians with an osteopathic emphasis. Perry Technical Institute is a private, nonprofit school of higher learning located in the city since 1939. It offers programs in adult basic education, English as a Second Language, lower-division arts and sciences, professional and technical education, transfer degrees to in-state universities, and community services. It is housed in a state-of-the-art 45,000 sq ft (4,200m2) facility. The school's mission is to train primary-care physicians committed to serving rural and underserved communities throughout thePacific Northwest. It has about 1,000 students in grades K12.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Yakima, Yakima County, Washington = 84. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 53. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 30. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Yakima = 2.6 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 96,968 individuals with a median age of 33.2 age the population dropped by -0.07% in Yakima, Yakima County, Washington population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 3,487 residents per square mile of area (1,346.4/km²). There are average 2.67 people per household in the 26,115 households with an average household income of $34,801 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 6.20% of the available work force and has dropped -0.13% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 33.54%. The number of physicians in Yakima per 100,000 population = 158.6.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Yakima = 8.2 inches and the annual snowfall = 23.9 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 69. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 199. 88 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 20.7 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 66, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Yakima, Yakima County, Washington which are owned by the occupant = 48.81%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 43 years with median home cost = $149,390 and home appreciation of 2.39%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $10.78 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,665 per student. There are 19.7 students for each teacher in the school, 550 students for each Librarian and 422 students for each Counselor. 5.16% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 9.95% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 5.85% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).