What it's like to live in Grandview
Grandview is a small city in Washington with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Grandview deals with county unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and college degree attainment below the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Growing population
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment in the county
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
- Cold winters
How Grandview compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Grandview
Based on Grandview's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,214
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $44,280 a year
- 31% of Grandview renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$53,060
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $26,530
- Homes cost 4.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 22% below US
$1,107/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,107 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $265,300. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $265,300 · 31% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
5.9% county unemployment
Unemployment in Yakima County is 5.9%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Yakima County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 35% below US
213 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1717/100k · Grandview Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 23% below US
20 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20.1 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. Nearly all workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 85°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 23°F and snow a regular occurrence. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 80% below US
7% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail (49 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Grandview's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are county unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,107/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up.
Other places near Grandview
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