AhtanumWA
A town of 3,777, settled in 1890. Public schools that outperform most of Washington.
Is Ahtanum a good place to live?
Ahtanum grades C overall, 190th among Washington's 285 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. On the other side, homes are expensive, about $338K for a typical one and 4.8 times the Yakima metro’s $71K median household income. It also does better than most on schools: its public schools beat 74% of Washington towns on state tests and graduation. On walkability, just 21 of Washington’s 396 towns do worse.
What makes Ahtanum stand out
Where Ahtanum beats most towns.
Ahtanum has grown 12% from 2010 to 2020
3,601 counted in 2010 and 4,046 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Ahtanum grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Ahtanum is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Ahtanum: who provides what
Ahtanum is unincorporated, so Yakima County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Ahtanum.
Ahtanum trades workers with Yakima and other neighbors, is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Washington and has milder winter nights than most of the country, though not than most of Washington.
High risk in Ahtanum, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 79% of U.S. communities. Since 2016, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Ahtanum.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Ahtanum earns a B+ for schools
Its public schools are run by the West Valley School District. Two of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is West Valley High School, with 1,494 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahtanum Valley ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 381 | – |
| West Valley High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,494 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
Four seasons and hot summers in Ahtanum
January nights average 25.5°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 77% of Washington places with climate records; July afternoons average 88.7°.
Ahtanum has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. At 89°F, Ahtanum’s July high is above both the Washington town median (77°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). The January low in Ahtanum is 26°F.
| Ahtanum | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 89°F | 77°F | 85°F |
| January low | 26°F | 35°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
More than half of Ahtanum’s working residents commute to Yakima
Ahtanum has about as many jobs (1,595) as working residents, but only 67 people both live and work here. Jobs based here grew from 1,158 in 2013 to 1,595.
Most working residents leave Ahtanum for work: only 4% work in town. 2.6% of residents live below the poverty line in Ahtanum, below both Washington’s towns (7.9%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Jobs based in Ahtanum grew to 1,595 in 2023, 437 more than in 2013.
| Ahtanum | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 2.6% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $96,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.5% | 5% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
On CDC estimates, Ahtanum is healthier than 62% of U.S. towns
Within Washington it is less healthy than 71% of the 285 graded towns: Washington sets a high bar.
Ahtanum beats the Washington average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 29% of Ahtanum adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Ahtanum | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 33% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 71% | 79% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 33% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 25% |
| What stands out | Ahtanum | WA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 74.9% | 70.7% |
| More adults with COPD | 6.4% | 5.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Homes in Ahtanum sell for about $543K
Ahtanum’s median rent is $1,575 a month.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Yakima Electric Railway Museum and 4 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ahtanum. Close and well known come first.
6 mi MuseumYakima Electric Railway Museum
40 mi State parkGinkgo Petrified Forest State Park37 mi Ski areaWhite Pass Ski Area55 runs · 2,035 ft vertical
6 mi TheatreCapitol Theatre
7 mi GardenYakima Area ArboretumPhoto credits
Yakima Electric Railway Museum: Steve Morgan, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park: No machine-readable author provided. Justinleif~commonswiki assumed (based on co, Public domain · Capitol Theatre: User:Cacophony, CC BY 2.5 · Yakima Area Arboretum: Bobjgalindo, CC BY-SA 3.0
Everything we know about Ahtanum
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Ahtanum
About 6 of every 100 Ahtanum residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Washington.
About Ahtanum
CDP in Washington, United States
Ahtanum () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Yakima County, Washington. The population was 4,046 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,247 ft
- Area code
- 509
Ahtanum’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Ahtanum.
Ahtanum reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Ahtanum with a neighbor →
Questions about Ahtanum
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ahtanum, WA a good place to live?
Ahtanum grades C overall, better than 30% of U.S. towns and #190 of 285 in Washington. It grades B for health and B+ for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Ahtanum, WA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $338,000, 43% below the Washington typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.