Moving to
West Richland.

All West Richland data Compare West Richland

17,586people live here $119,892median household income▲ 49% above US $1,590median rent per month▲ 13% above US $448,300median home value▲ 35% above US

What it's like to live in West Richland

West Richland is a small city in Washington with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. West Richland deals with home prices well above the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.

The good

Higher-than-average incomes
Low crime rates
Clean air
Highly educated workforce
Fast-growing population

The not so good

High home prices
High student-teacher ratio
Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options

How West Richland compares

Median household income

West Richland$119,892

Washington avg$98,141

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

West Richland$1,590

Washington avg$1,760

US$1,413

Median home value

West Richland$448,300

Washington avg$564,600

US$332,700

What it takes to move to West Richland

Based on West Richland's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$3,180

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $63,600 a year
43% of West Richland renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$89,660

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $44,830
Homes cost 3.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 13% above US

$1,590/mo median rent

Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,590 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $448,300. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.

Median home value $448,300 · 43% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

4.7% county unemployment

Unemployment in Benton County is 4.7%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Benton County (county-wide)

Safety▼ 64% below US

118 violent crimes per 100k

Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.

Property crime 631/100k · West Richland Police Department · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

25 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 24.5 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 16% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

70%

Work from home

16%

Carpool

8.6%

Other

2.8%

Walk

1.1%

Public transit

0.8%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 29°F and snow a regular occurrence. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforceNear US average

39% bachelor's degree or higher

Education levels run about average, with 39% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.

Schools

6 public schools inside the boundary

There are 6 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 (26 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

West Richland's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city. A year of median rent ($1,590/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime and remote workers (16% of workers here already work from home).

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