Yakima County, WA
Get paid to care for your family member in Yakima County, Washington
About 38,500 people in Yakima County are 65 or older — 15% of everyone who lives here. Yakima County skews younger than Washington overall, but the families caring for an older parent here face the same bills. Roughly 3,970 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Agencies operate in Yakima County, though families still run into gaps: no weekend coverage, a new aide every few weeks, hours that don't match real life.
Who needs care in Yakima
- People 65 and older
- 38,500
- People 85 and older
- 3,970
- Median age
- 33.6
- Rank in Washington
- 9th
15% of Yakima residents
the age daily help usually starts
younger than the country as a whole
of 39 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Yakima County is a metro county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 2). Washington as a whole is 17% aged 65 or older.
What Washington pays family caregivers
$22.52–$27.28/hr
Source: Washington Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Washington's programs at a glance
- Community First Choice (CFC)
- Medicaid Personal Care (MPC)
- Individual Provider (via CDWA)
- Spouse paid?
- Not right now
- Parent paid for a child?
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- No waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Washington guide →
Towns and cities in Yakima County
Washington sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Yakima and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Yakima County:
- Yakima97,390
- Sunnyside16,317
- Grandview11,599
- Toppenish8,658
- Selah8,653
- Union Gap6,582
- Moxee4,791
- Wapato4,492
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Yakima apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Yakima County start with Washington's program:
The care recipient applies for Apple Health LTSS through a DSHS Home & Community Services regional intake office and gets a CARE assessment; the family caregiver then applies as an Individual Provider at consumerdirectwa.com.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Washington program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Yakima questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Yakima County?
Yes. Washington runs real Medicaid programs — like Community First Choice (CFC) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Yakima County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Yakima County?
Family caregivers in Washington typically earn $22.52–$27.28/hr. The rate is the same across the state, including Yakima County.
Where do families in Yakima County apply?
Families in Yakima County start with the state, not the county. The care recipient applies for Apple Health LTSS through a DSHS Home & Community Services regional intake office and gets a CARE assessment; the family caregiver then applies as an Individual Provider at consumerdirectwa.com.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Yakima County?
Not right now — but other family members often can be. The fine print for Washington: no — DSHS: 'Spouses cannot be paid to care for each other'; some spouses may qualify via Veteran Directed Care or WA Cares Fund instead
How many people in Yakima County might need this?
38,500 residents of Yakima County are 65 or older and about 3,970 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Washington's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Yakima do you cover?
All of Yakima County — including Yakima, Sunnyside, Grandview, Toppenish and Selah. Eligibility is set by Washington, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Washington's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
More Washington counties
The programs are the same statewide — pick your county:
Find out in 2 minutes
Answer 5 easy questions. See your programs and pay before you share any contact info.