Tri-Cities, Washington

Central Richland as seen from Badger Mountain

Pasco was the first of the Tri-Cities to be incorporated, in 1891. Kennewick was incorporated in 1904, and Richland followed in 1910. West Richland—a suburb of Richland, as well as the fourth largest city in the metropolitan area—was founded by dissatisfied residents of Richland, who wished to be home owners rather than renters of government-owned houses, after the arrival of Hanford. Despite attempts by Richland to annex the community, they remained separate and eventually became incorporated in 1955.

Pasco was the largest city in the Tri-Cities, mostly due to its railroad station. It also had the most land for easy irrigation and farming and was still the largest up until the founding of Hanford near Richland.

Farming was the basis of virtually every sector of the economy in the early years. Indeed, the area remained mostly rural well into the 1940s. It did not have a daily newspaper or radio station until the mid-1940s. Even today, agriculture is a big part of the Tri-Cities, Pasco in particular.

After the founding of the Hanford Site in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project, Richland became the largest city of the three overnight. Richland's Columbia High School adopted "Bombers" as its mascot (complete with mushroom cloud logo). In 1970, Kamiakin High School (in the neighboring city of Kennewick) was founded in response to the continued influx of people. The economy continued to grow, but not without some turbulence. Every time the Hanford facilities experienced reduced funding, thousands of people would suddenly become jobless. During this time, other employers slowly made their way into the area, but they too would often be forced to cut jobs in the bad times. Since the 1970s, Kennewick has had the greatest population of the three cities. The Columbia Center Mall opened in 1969 on land newly incorporated into Kennewick, drawing growth to western Kennewick and south Richland.[7]

The Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, a major national laboratory in Richland

Completion of the Interstate 182 Bridge in 1984 made Pasco much more accessible, fueling the growth of that city.[8] With the end of the Cold War, many in the area feared a shutdown of Hanford, followed by the Tri-Cities quickly becoming a ghost town. These fears were allayed after the United States Department of Energy switched the facility's purpose from the creation of nuclear weapons to the effective sealing and disposal of radioactive waste. During the 1990s, several major corporations entered the Tri-Cities, which helped to begin diversifying the economy apart from the Hanford sector. In 1995, a sixth public high school, Southridge High, was founded in south Kennewick.

The 2000s saw continued rapid growth as the Hanford site hired hundreds of workers to help with the cleanup effort. Additionally, the Tri-Cities saw a large influx of retirees from various areas of the Northwest. During this time, and the corresponding nationwide housing boom, all three cities flourished and grew significantly. Pasco became the fastest growing city in Washington (in terms of both percent increase and number of new residents). In 2005, the Census Bureau reported that Pasco's population had surpassed Richland's for the first time since pre-Hanford days. Fueled by the boom, Chiawana High School was founded, and by 2019 had become the largest high school in the entire state.

Despite the economic recession of the late 2000s, the Tri-Cities area continued to maintain steady growth and a stable economic climate due in part to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 which directed funding and jobs to the Hanford site and its various cleanup efforts.

Higher education institutions in the Tri-Cities area include:

• Washington State University Tri-Cities, a four-year branch campus of Washington State University located in Richland (2000 students).
• Columbia Basin College, a two-year institution which offers a four-year Bachelor of Applied Science program in Applied Management (8,000 students). The main campus is located in Pasco while a branch campus and a nursing school are located in Richland.
• Tri-Tech Skills Center, a smaller vocational school run by the Kennewick School District and located in Kennewick.
• Charter College, located in Pasco offering technical and medical programs such as Medical Assisting, Dental Assisting and HVAC.

In 2005, the State of Washington approved the transition of the existing Washington State University branch campus in Richland from a two-year to a four-year campus. In the fall of 2007 the campus admitted its first undergraduate students. Offering a range of programs, the campus focuses on biotechnology, computer science, and engineering, due to the nearby Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Hanford Site. The university also offers a range of majors, including English, history, and other liberal arts and sciences.[21]

Columbia Basin College also offers higher education courses for residents of the Tri-Cities, as well as the Columbia Basin from Mattawa, Washington, which is 50 miles (80 km) away, to Umatilla, Oregon, 30 miles (48 km) away.

The University of Phoenix also has a satellite campus in Kennewick, serving local online students.[22]

Each city provides its own schooling services through their respective school districts—Kennewick's, Pasco's, and Richland's.

Public high schools in the Kennewick School District include Kennewick High School, Kamiakin High School, Southridge High School, and others. In the Pasco School District are Pasco High School, Chiawana High School, New Horizons High School, and Delta High School. And, in the Richland School District, public high schools include Richland High School, Hanford High School, and River View High School.

The area also contains two regional high schools, Tri-Tech and Delta High. Tri-Tech is a technical/vocational high school in the Kennewick School District that is attended by students from all over the Tri-Cities area. Delta High is a science and technology focused high school located in Pasco. It is sponsored by Pasco, Kennewick, and Richland's school districts, Battelle, Washington State University Tri-Cities, and Columbia Basin College.

There are also several private and faith-based schools in the area, including Tri-Cities Prep Highschool (Pasco), Kingspoint Christian School K–12 (Pasco),[23] Tri-Cities Adventist School (Pasco),[24] Liberty Christian School (Richland), Bethlehem Lutheran K–12 (Kennewick), and Calvary Christian School K–8 (Kennewick).

In the 1940s, the Hanford site employed a majority of residents. The United States government built a top-secret facility to produce and separate plutonium for nuclear weapons, and decided on an area just north of then-tiny Richland. The government built temporary quarters for the more than 45,000 workers and built permanent homes and infrastructure for other personnel in Richland. The city had an overnight population explosion, yet virtually no one knew what the purpose of Hanford was until the destruction of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, by an atomic weapon containing Hanford-produced plutonium. After World War II Hanford continued work on creating material for nuclear weapons during the Cold War. After the fall of the USSR in 1991, Hanford, the site of severe nuclear contamination, changed its mission from plutonium production to environmental cleanup and restoration.[25]

The Hanford site is one of the largest cleanup projects in the United States, costing over $1.4 million per day[26] to turn over 53 million US gallons (200 Ml) of nuclear waste into glass through a process called vitrification.[27] Vitrification is a proven technique in the disposal and long-term storage of nuclear waste or other hazardous wastes.[28] Original estimates were $2.8 billion over five years to clean up the waste,[29] though estimates quickly grew in the early 1990s to $50 billion with a completion date of 30 years.[30] Costs are now projected at $112 billion with an estimated completion date of 2065.[31] Over 18 percent of all jobs in the Benton Franklin County area are nuclear-related, research-related, or engineering.[32][33]

The Columbia Generating station operates ten miles outside of Richland and is the only nuclear power station in the Pacific Northwest. It uses a boiling water reactor with a type 5 layout[34] and was relicensed 10 years to operate until 2043.[35] After nine years of construction, the plant began operating after a long and costly construction process that resulted in the largest municipal failure in U.S. history.[36] Originally operated and owned by the Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS), the coalition changed its name to Energy Northwest in 1998 because of the negative association with the original name (commonly pronounced "Whoops" in place of WPPSS).[36] WPPSS defaulted on $2.25 billion in bonds resulting in payments that exceeded $12,000 per customer, an amount which was finally paid out in 1992 (10 years later).[36][37][38] Its 1,190 gross megawatts can power the city of Seattle, and is equivalent to about 10 percent of the electricity generated in Washington and 4 percent of all electricity used in the Pacific Northwest [33] and has several safeguards to protect against seismic, natural, or terrorist threats.[39]

The Tri-Cities economy has historically been based on farming and the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. From Pasco's incorporation in 1891 to present day, the Tri-Cities have had a large degree of farming thanks to irrigation by the three nearby rivers. Wheat is the most commonly grown product; however, large amounts of apples, corn, grapes are also grown, along with potatoes, and other products including asparagus. Cherries are also grown in the region.

Photo taken along Clark Rd in Pasco, WA.

Grapes grown in the region are essential to the wine industry. Wineries draw a large population of tourists. With 160 wineries in the Columbia Valley,[40] this industry accounts for $1 billion annually in Benton County alone.[41] Many wineries such as Goose Ridge Estate Winery, Preston Premium Wines, and Tagaris Winery are open for wine tasting and special events. Often referred to as The Heart of Washington Wine Country,[40] local and Tri-City wineries provide tours and wine club memberships.

The Tri-Cities’ climate allows the region to have a broad and sustainable agricultural economy. Local industries provide employment for thousands of people in the Tri-Cities area. Some of the top 20 employers in agriculture include ConAgra, Tyson Foods, and Broetje Orchards.[42] Agriculture makes up 9.5% of employment in Tri-Cities[43] and local businesses combined employ thousands of people. In 2012, the state of Washington was rated #1 in the nation when it comes to growing apples, hops, spearmint oil, sweet cherries, pears, concord grapes and processing carrots.[43] The Mid-Columbia region including the Tri-Cities grows most of these crops. The region's climate and irrigation from nearby rivers, like the Columbia, Snake, and Yakima rivers, allow farmers to produce corn, hay, wheat and potatoes. In Washington there are 39,500 farms; 1,630 of these farms are located in Benton County and 891 are located in Franklin County.[43]

The Spudnut Shop located in the Uptown Shopping Center in Richland

The Tri-Cities has a number of locally owned and operated restaurants. The Spudnut Shop, for example, located in northern Richland, was opened in 1948 and has been family-run ever since. The Travel Channel featured The Spudnut Shop and their donuts "made from potato flour and then deep-fried to perfection."[44] Carmine's, also a family owned restaurant in the region, serves Italian food in a historic home that was constructed in downtown Kennewick in 1929.[45] Another addition to these local restaurants is Monterosso's Italian Restaurant which serves lunch and dinner in an antique railroad dining car. Also notable is the BBQ restaurant Porter's which began as a food truck in Richland and has been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives hosted by Guy Fieri

In contrast to Seattle, the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains, and the rain forests of the Olympic Peninsula, the Columbia Valley enjoys long, warm, summer days, and crisp cool nights. The dry weather combined with rich volcanic soils and controlled irrigation produce near-perfect conditions for the cultivation of wine grapes.

The range of varietals grown throughout the region include Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling, and Pinot Noir.

With more than 160 wineries within an hour's drive, the Tri-Cities of Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland at the heart of the Columbia Valley which includes the Yakima Valley, Walla Walla Valley, Red Mountain, Horse Heaven Hills, and Wahluke Slope appellations.

Ice Harbor Brewery

The Tri-Cities region have a number of wineries and microbreweries that attract tourists and visitors to the area. Some of the local microbreweries include Ice Harbor Brewery Company, Atomic Ale Brewpub and Eatery, and White Bluff Brewing. This brewery was founded in 1996 and has two locations in the Tri-Cities metropolitan area, one in downtown Kennewick and one on Clover Island. In 2010, Ice Harbor received a bronze award for their Sternwheeler Stout, Runaway Red Ale, Indian Pale Ale (IPA) and a Silver Award for their Tangerine "ExBEERience" Hefeweizen at the Washington Beer Awards competition.[46] Another micro-brewery, the Atomic Ale Brew Pub & Eatery, is located in Richland and serves as Tri-Cities oldest brewpub and was opened in 1997.[47]

The Market at the Parkway in Richland, WA is a farmers market with takes place every Friday from June through October.[48] Local artists provide music and crafts, and Fresh produce, specialty foods, arts and crafts are sold at the Richland farmers market.[48]

The Pasco Farmers Market, which celebrated 25 years in 2013, takes place every Wednesday and Saturday morning beginning in May through the end of October, and consists primarily of fresh produce.[49]

A farmers market, located at the corner of Benton Street and Kennewick Avenue, takes place on Thursday evenings and runs annually from the end of May through October.[50]

The Tri-Cities is also home to automobile manufacturer SSC North America, the manufacturer of the SSC Aero. Other corporations with facilities in the Tri-Cities area include Amazon.com, Areva, Battelle Memorial Institute, Bruker, ConAgra Foods, Fluor Corp., Kaiser Aluminum, Lampson Cranes, Lockheed Martin, Reser's Fine Foods, Tyson Foods, URS Corp., US Cellular, UniWest,and AECOM.

Hospitals in the Tri-Cities are include Kadlec Regional Medical Center (Richland, Kennewick),[51] Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and Lourdes Medical Center (Downtown Pasco, Richland, West Pasco), and Trios Health (Downtown Kennewick and West Kennewick).[52]

Mid-Columbia Libraries, an intercounty library system serving Benton, Franklin, and Adams Counties, is based in Kennewick, Washington, and operates five public branch libraries in the Tri-Cities, and seven branch libraries in the surrounding area. Customers of Mid-Columbia Libraries have access to nearly 400,000 books, movies, magazines, and downloadable eBooks and audiobooks; the library system spends over $1 million annually on new materials and has the highest expenditure per capita for materials of any public library in Southeastern Washington.[53] Richland Public Library is a single library operated by the City of Richland and is not part of the much larger library system.

Public libraries in the Tri-Cities include:

• Mid-Columbia Libraries: Keewaydin Park Branch (Kennewick, Washington)
• Mid-Columbia Libraries: Kennewick Branch (Kennewick, Washington) - Main Library
• Mid-Columbia Libraries: Pasco Branch (Pasco, Washington)
• Mid-Columbia Libraries: West Pasco Branch (Pasco, Washington)
• Mid-Columbia Libraries: West Richland Branch (West Richland, WA)
• Richland Public Library (Richland, Washington)

Other libraries in the Tri-Cities include:

• Benton-Franklin County Law Library (Pasco, Washington)
• Columbia Basin College Library (Pasco)
• Columbia Basin Regional Medical Library (Richland, Washington)
• Neurological Resource Center Library (Richland, Washington)
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Technical Library (Richland, Washington)
• Washington State University Tri-Cities Library (Richland, Washington)

Airports serving the area include Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco (IATA: PSC, ICAO: KPSC) and Richland Airport in Richland (IATA: RLD, ICAO: KRLD).

• Interstate 82 runs along the southern edge of Kennewick connecting the Tri-Cities with major cities like Seattle via Interstate 90, and both Portland, Oregon and Salt Lake City via Interstate 84.
• Interstate 182 follows the Yakima River through Richland, crosses the Columbia River on the Interstate 182 Bridge, and continues through Pasco to its terminus with U.S. Route 395
• US 395 runs north through Kennewick, crosses the Columbia River on the Blue Bridge and continues through Pasco and then north to Interstate 90 in Ritzville, Washington.
• SR 397 runs from Finley up to Pasco, crossing the Columbia River through the Cable Bridge continuing northbound to I-90 and Spokane.
• US 12 is cosigned with Interstate 182 through the Tri-Cities and continues past U.S. Route 395 across the Snake River towards Burbank, Walla Walla, and Lewiston, Idaho.
• State Route 240 runs from Kennewick through Richland, (also known as the bypass highway), then just west of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation where it intersects with SR 24.

Ben Franklin Transit provides public bus service throughout the Tri-Cities as well as TransPlus Night and Sunday limited capacity curb-to-curb service for $3 each way.[54]

Local cab service exists, and Uber entered the Kennewick market in December 2016, with expansion into Richland and Pasco the following year.[55]

Amtrak provides connection to the daily Empire Builder serving Portland and Chicago.[56]

The area is home to 10 golf courses which can be played nearly year-round. These include Canyon Lakes Golf Course (Kennewick), Columbia Park Golf Course (Kennewick), Zintel Creek Golf Club (Kennewick), Sun Willows Golf Course (Pasco), Pasco Golfland (Pasco), Columbia Point Golf Course (Richland), Horn Rapids Golf Club (Richland), West Richland Golf Course (West Richland), Meadow Springs Country Club (Richland), and Buckskin Golf Course (Richland).

The Tri-Cities metropolitan area has a number of outdoor trail running locations. A number of competitive running events are held throughout the year, including a number which are sponsored by the Three Rivers Road Runners Club (3RRR).[57] They include:

• Columbia River Classic (Est. 1975) - Oldest "fun run" in the Tri-Cities. It features both a 10-mile and 2-mile run.
• Tri-Cities Marathon (Est. 1980) – Run begins in Richland and continues through Pasco and Kennewick along the Columbia River.
• St. Paddy's Foot Race and Leprechaun Dash (Est. 1980) – Annual event where the local elementary and middle school students participate in a 1-mile dash while others compete in a 5K or 10K foot race.

The Tri-Cities is linked by a system of 67 miles (108 km) of paved pedestrian and bike trails that run through the various cities and along the rivers. The 23-mile (37 km) Sacagawea Heritage Trail forms a loop that crosses two bridges and runs along the Columbia River through both Kennewick and Pasco. Sacagawea Heritage Trail also connects with the Richland Riverfront Trail, a marked hiking trail that focuses on the state of Washington's contribution to the nuclear history of the United States.[58]

The confluence of the Snake, Yakima, and Columbia rivers provides ample opportunity for boating, fishing, and swimming. Free boat launches can be found throughout all of the cities.

The Tri-Cities is home to seven river-front parks and various other parks and playgrounds. Three skate parks are located in the area; two in Kennewick and one in Richland.

Highlands Grange Park is a Kennewick city owned Public Park between 14th and 19th streets off of Union in Kennewick.[59] This park covers 26 acres (11 ha), serving the surrounding new and old communities of approximately 13,000 citizens.

A view of Highlands Grange Park in October 2013

According to the City of Kennewick Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Plan 2013–2018, this park requires 6 acres (2.4 ha) of expansion due to the larger than expected community growth of the area. The Southridge Sports and Events Complex helps provide park service for the adjacent Grange neighborhoods.

Part of the path in the Rose Garden portion of the Demonstration Garden in October 2013

This park features plenty of recreation, including a playground structure, basketball courts, a soccer/softball field, tennis courts, a roller hockey rink, a water feature, and 8/10 mile walk through a demonstration garden. Additionally, there are two picnic shelters for hosting public events and 79 parking spaces (not including the neighboring Kennewick branch of Mid-Columbia Libraries).[60]

The park's most notable features include the demonstration garden and the water feature. The water feature provides summertime entertainment for local children inviting them to play amidst the colorful metal palm trees that shower water. The demonstration garden is Highland Grange Park's primary attraction and community draw, representing a visual festival of roses and other flowers tended to by master gardeners from Washington State University.[61] This park is commonly used for public events, ranging from weddings in the demonstration garden to weekend BBQs under the picnic shelters.[62] The park also touts the adjacent Highlands Grande building available for reservations and indoor events.[63]

Jeanette Taylor skate-park

Tri-Cities has three skate parks: one in Kennewick and two situated in Richland. Jeanette Taylor Park, is the number three ranked stated skate-park in Washington. Completed in 2005, this 22,100-square-foot (2,050 m²) park features street elements, an 8-foot (2.4 m) bowl off of a snake run, and a half-pipe/bowl that is 10 feet (3.0 m) deep.[64] The Jeanette Taylor skate park hosts a number of contests and events.

The Tri-Cities is home to one minor league baseball team, the Tri-City Dust Devils, and one major junior hockey club, the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League.

The first of these teams to join the Tri-City area was the Tri-City Americans. The franchise relocated to the Tri-Cities initially as the New Westminster Bruins and later changed its name to the "Americans" in 1988.[65] The Americans have advanced to the WHL finals one time in their tenure in the Tri-Cities, where they lost to the Calgary Hitmen 4–1 during the 2009–10 season. The Americans currently play at the Toyota Center in Kennewick, Washington.

The Tri-City Dust Devils are a Single A, short-season minor league baseball team that is an affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The Dust Devils came to the Tri-Cities in 2001, relocating from Portland and changing the team's name from the Portland Rockies to the Tri-City Dust Devils. The Dust Devils took over as the primary tenants of Gesa Stadium, which previously housed the Tri-City Posse. The Dust Devils have been the Northwest League East Division Champions three times in their history in the Tri-Cities, namely 2007, 2009 and 2011.[66]

From 2005 to 2016, there was also professional indoor football team called the Tri-Cities Fever. The team came to the Tri-Cities in 2005 as an expansion team for the National Indoor Football League. Since then, the Fever switched to the AF2 in 2007, and then to the Indoor Football League in 2009.[67] The Fever, housed in the Toyota Center in Kennewick, have won one division title and one league championship. The Fever won the Indoor Bowl in 2005 as a member of the NIFL, and in 2012 they were the Intense Division champions in the IFL where they ultimately lost the United Bowl Championship game to the Sioux Falls Storm. During the 2012 season, the Fever were awarded the 2012 IFL Franchise of the Year.[67] In 2016, the Fever announced they would go dormant.

Columbia Center Mall Entrance

The Columbia Center Mall is a shopping center in Kennewick that is operated by Simon Property Group. This indoor shopping mall is the largest regional mall in Southeastern Washington,[68] attracting shoppers from as far as Oregon. JCPenney, Macy's, and Old Navy anchor the center. The mall has over 150 other shopping, dining, and entertainment options including a food court and a kids play area. Other facilities include an open-air walking mall including Chico's, LOFT, and dining areas like Mizu Sushi & Roll and Twig's Bistro and Martini Bar.[69]

Richland Players Theater located in Richland

The Richland Players Theater has offered live performances annually for over 70 years. Originally known as The Village Players, the theater group was created in 1944 to bring music, comedy, and cultural opportunities to the local community.[70] Today, the theater has more than 7,500 attendees annually attracting audiences from across the region such as Spokane, Yakima, and Walla Walla. The theater also serves the local community by bringing local retirees to shows and accommodating the visually and hearing impaired (with the participation of non-profit United Blind).[71]

Interior of the Bechtel Planetarium, Pasco

The Bechtel National Planetarium is on the campus of Columbia Basin College in Pasco. The 36-foot (11 m) dome allows a 180° view overhead. Erin Steinert, Planetarium Outreach Specialist said, "It is the largest digital theater in the state of Washington; it seats the most people."[72]

As of April 1, 2019, the population of Kennewick was estimated at 84,347[5] according to the Washington State Office of Financial Management, Forecasting Division.

As of the 2010 census, there were 73,917 people, and by census estimates of 2000, 20,786 households, and 14,176 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,384.9 people per square mile (920.9/km²). There were 22,043 housing units at an average density of 961.2 per square mile (371.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 82.93% White, 1.14% Black or African American, 0.93% Native American, 2.12% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 9.4% from other races, and 3.37% from two or more races. 15.55% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 20,786 households, out of which 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.6 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the city the population was spread out, with 29.6% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $41,213, and the median income for a family was $50,011. Males had a median income of $41,589 versus $26,022 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,152. About 9.7% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.8% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.

As of April 1, 2019, the population of Pasco was estimated at 75,432,[5] according to the Washington State Office of Financial Management, Forecasting Division.

As of the census of 2010, there were 59,781 people, and according to the 2000 census results, 9,619 households, and 7,262 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,141.9 people per square mile (440.9/km²). There were 10,341 housing units at an average density of 368.2 per square mile (142.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.76% White, 3.22% African American, 0.77% Native American, 1.77% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 37.44% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 56.26% of the population.

There were 9,619 households, out of which 45.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.30 and the average family size was 3.79.

In the city the population was spread out, with 35.5% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 15.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,540, and the median income for a family was $37,342. Males had a median income of $29,016 versus $22,186 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,404. About 19.5% of families and 23.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.4% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.

As of April 1, 2019, the population of Richland was estimated at 58,225,[5] according to the Washington State Office of Financial Management, Forecasting Division.

As of the census of 2010, there were 48,058 people, and according to the 2000 census, 15,549 households, and 10,682 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,111.8 people per square mile (429.2/km²). There were 16,458 housing units at an average density of 472.7 per square mile (182.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.55% White, 1.37% African American, 0.76% Native American, 4.06% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 1.85% from other races, and 2.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 4.72% of the population.

There were 15,549 households, out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the city the population was spread out, with 27.2% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 96 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $53,092, and the median income for a family was $61,482. Males had a median income of $52,648 versus $30,472 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,494. About 5.7% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Richland ranks 83rd of 522 areas ranked in the state of Washington—the highest rank achieved in Benton County.

The Tri-City Herald is a daily newspaper based in Kennewick which serves the Tri-Cities area.[80] Printed in both Spanish and English,[81] tú Decides is a free newspaper which was launched in early 2007.[82] The Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business covers business news in Richland, Kennewick and Pasco.[83][80]

The Tri-Cities is a combined television market with Yakima, which, as of the 2017 Nielsen DMA Rankings, was recorded as having 230,950 TV households.[84][85] Stations and networks which serve this market include KFFX-TV (a Fox affiliate), KVVK (a Univision affiliate), KEPR (a CBS affiliate), KNDU (NBC), KTNW (PBS), and KVEW (ABC).[85]

According to the Spring 2018 Nielsen Audio Quarterly Report, the radio stations with the 10 stations (AM and FM) with the highest listenership in Tri-Cities, Washington included KEGX-FM (classic rock; 5.6% share), KORD-FM (country; 5.6%), KUJ-FM (chart; 5.6%), KIOK-FM (country; 5.2%), KXRX-FM (classic rock; 5.2%), KFLD-AM (news; 4.3%), KEYW-FM (adult contemporary; 3.9%), KOLW-FM (chart; 2.6%), KJOX-AM (sports; 1.7%), KALE-AM (adult contemporary; 1.3%).[86]

• Patricia Briggs, urban fantasy author
• Orson Scott Card, science fiction writer
• Chuck Palahniuk, novelist (author of Fight Club)
• Joseph Santos, artist and painter
• Ron Silliman, poet (born in Pasco, resident of Kennewick 1946–47)
• Mike Bivins, Journalist (born in the Tri-Cities)

• James (Jim) F. Albaugh - Executive Vice President, The Boeing Company
• James N. Mattis - 26th United States Secretary of Defense
• John Archibald Wheeler - theoretical physicist, collaborator with Albert Einstein

• Terence Knox, actor - Tour of Duty, St. Elsewhere
• James Otto, country singer and songwriter
• James Wong Howe, Academy Award-winning cinematographer
• Kevin T. O'Connor, musician, Talkdemonic
• Kristine W, (Weitz) singer and songwriter, former Miss Washington
• Larry Coryell - jazz guitarist, RHS class of 1961
• Nate Mendel - Foo Fighters bassist
• Rick Emerson - former radio and TV personality
• Santino Fontana, stage actor, director, and composer
• Sharon Tate - actress, victim of the Manson Family murders
• Michael Peterson, country singer and songwriter

• Adam Carriker — Washington Redskins
• Brian Urlacher — Chicago Bears Pro Bowl linebacker
• Bruce Kison — Pittsburgh Pirates World Series pitcher
• Damon Lusk — NASCAR driver
• Gene Conley — Major League Basketball and Baseball player, RHS
• Hope Solo — United States women's national soccer team goalkeeper
• Jason Repko — Minnesota Twins outfielder
• Jeremy Bonderman — Seattle Mariners All-Star pitcher
• Kimo von Oelhoffen — former Defensive Tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers
• Michael Jackson — Seattle Seahawks linebacker
• Ray Mansfield — National Football League player, center, Pittsburgh Steelers
• Ray Washburn — former Major League Baseball pitcher
• Travis Buck — Oakland Athletics outfielder
• Tyler Brayton — Carolina Panthers
• Chad Ward - NFL offensive lineman
• Shawn O'Malley - Major League Baseball Player
• Greg Olson - Oakland Raiders offensive coordinator