Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Cape Coral, FL
VS
Yakima, WA
🏆 Cape Coral leads 13 of 20 categories
Cape Coral
Florida
13
wins
Cost of Living Index
104.9⚠ High
Median Household Income
$72,474 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
—
Population
198,912 ✓ Larger
Yakima
Washington
7
wins
Cost of Living Index
101.6⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$55,734
Violent Crime Index
143⚠ High
Population
96,764
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Cape Coral, FL
Pros
Stronger job market — unemployment is 3.7 pts lower (4.4%)
Households earn $16,740 more per year on average
Milder winters — January highs near 75°F vs 40°F
More college-educated — 24.6% hold a bachelor's or higher
Cons
Higher rents — median is $1,630/mo
Longer commutes — 28.6 min average each way
Cost of living runs 3% higher than Yakima
Yakima, WA
Pros
Rent averages $616/mo less ($1,014 vs $1,630)
Homes cost $59k less ($243,300 vs $302,400)
Commutes run 11 min shorter each way
Smaller class sizes — 17.7:1 student-teacher ratio
3% cheaper overall cost of living than Cape Coral
Cons
Violent crime (544.3/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Median income trails Cape Coral by $16,740/yr
Higher unemployment (8.1% vs 4.4%)
Key Differences at a Glance
Cape Coral
Median Income
$16,740
$72,474 vs $55,734/yr
Cape Coral
Unemployment
3.7 pp lower
4.4% vs 8.1% unemployment
Cape Coral
Summer Heat
3.3°F warmer
July avg high 91.6°F vs 88.3°F
Yakima
Cost of Living
3% cheaper
COL index 101.6 vs 104.9 (100 = US avg)
Yakima
Median Home Value
$59k less
$243,300 vs $302,400
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Cape Coral, FL | Yakima, WA |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 104.9⚠ High | 101.6⚠ High ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $302,400 | $243,300 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,630⚠ High | $1,014 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $72,474 ✓ Higher | $55,734 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.4%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 8.1%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 28.6 min⚠ High | 17.9 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 11.1% ✓ Higher | 5.3% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | — | 125⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | — | 143⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | — | 97 |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | C+ (87) ✓ Better | C (79) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 20.5:1 | 17.7:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 24.6% ✓ Higher | 19.3% |
| High School or Higher | 92.8% ✓ Higher | 77.2% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | LEE | Yakima School District |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 75.0°F ✓ Warmer | 39.6°F |
| Avg High — July | 91.6°F ✓ Warmer | 88.3°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 57.4" | 8.6" ✓ Drier |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" ✓ Less | 20.3" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 198,912 ✓ Larger | 96,764 |
| Median Age | 48.2 ✓ Older | 33.9 |
| Homeownership Rate | 77.4% ✓ Higher | 53.1% |
| Under 18 | 17.5% | 27.8% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 24.7% ✓ More | 15.8% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Cape Coral's cost of living index is 104.9 vs Yakima's 101.6 (US average = 100).
Yakima is 3% less expensive overall.
Based on the 20 decided categories above, Cape Coral leads 13 of 20 categories. Cape Coral wins 13 and Yakima wins 7. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Cape Coral to Yakima or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($302,400 vs $243,300 median home), income ($72,474 vs $55,734), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Cape Coral, FL and Yakima, WA are about 2,507 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.