Is North Yelm a good place to live?
The picture is mixed. Its lowest grade is for cost of living — the typical home is worth about $384K, 4 years of the Olympia metro’s $97K median household income. North Yelm ranks 168th of 285 in Washington, with a C+ overall. Set against the rest, it does better than 36% of U.S. towns. It lags on hazard risk as well: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 72% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. Incomes are its strong suit: the median household earns $74K. Just over a tenth of the land here is conserved, where Washington’s towns sit at 4% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. The biggest park or preserve is Yelm Shoreline Protected Area, at 32 acres.
Figures: incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · home values, Zillow · FEMA National Risk Index · USGS PAD-US · OpenStreetMap.
How North Yelm grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far North Yelm is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
100% of working residents leave North Yelm for work
Where North Yelm’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
The data
Ordered by what stands out in North Yelm.
North Yelm has cooler summers than nearly all U.S. towns, sends most of its workers to Tacoma and beyond and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Washington.
North Yelm stands out in Washington and nationally, with fewer of its working residents who work locally
North Yelm has 53 jobs for its 1,121 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. The average commute takes 35.1 minutes, against 26.6 across Washington.
2.1% of North Yelm residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Tacoma (9%), Olympia (8%) and Yelm (7%). In North Yelm, the average commute is 35 minutes. Half the trips to work are shorter than 19 miles.
| North Yelm | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 2.1% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.4% | 5% | 8% |
| Median household income | $74,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
North Yelm has a high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from earthquakes
Expected losses in North Yelm break down as 50% from earthquakes and 42% from inland flooding.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Expect mild winters and pleasant summers in North Yelm
July afternoons average 77.9°, cooler than in 95% of U.S. towns; January nights average 34.7°.
About 4 inches of snow falls in a winter. North Yelm’s July high stands at 78°F.
| North Yelm | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 78°F | 77°F | 85°F |
| January low | 35°F | 35°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Conserved land covers 11.8% of North Yelm
Walkers can cover 1.2 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. North Yelm’s density of trails comes in at 0.4 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves in the town: 2, covering 38 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Yelm Shoreline Protected Area | 0.3 mi | 32 |
| 2. Nisqually Pines HOA Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
North Yelm is healthier than 57% of U.S. towns
Within Washington it is less healthy than 76% of the 285 graded towns: Washington sets a high bar.
Among adults in North Yelm, 29% have been diagnosed with depression. In North Yelm, 67% of adults had a checkup this year.
| North Yelm | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 67% | 71% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | North Yelm | WA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12.4% | 9% |
| More smokers | 13.1% | 10.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 6.3% | 5.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Homes in North Yelm sell for about $420K
North Yelm’s going rate for rent is $1,464 a month. For households in the town, the share who are owner-occupiers is 75%.
| North Yelm | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,464 a month | $1,740 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about North Yelm
Tacoma Dome and 30 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around North Yelm. Close and well known come first.
21 mi Stadium & arenaTacoma Dome
27 mi National ParkMount Rainier National Park1.6M visitors a year
26 mi Theme parkWild Waves Theme Park
20 mi Stadium & arenaCheney Stadium
24 mi City parkPoint Defiance Park
24 mi Zoo & aquariumPoint Defiance Zoo & AquariumPhoto credits
Tacoma Dome: Broran28, Public domain · Mount Rainier National Park: Ricardo Martins from Gent, Belgium, CC BY 2.0 · Wild Waves Theme Park: Jessica Spengler from Hove, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0 · Cheney Stadium: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Point Defiance Park: Crash Dalco, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium: Takinzinnia, CC0
Moving to North Yelm: who provides what
North Yelm is unincorporated, so Thurston County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of North Yelm
About 7 of every 100 North Yelm residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Washington.
About North Yelm
CDP in Washington, United States
North Yelm is a census-designated place (CDP) in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 3,140 at the 2020 census. The community borders Yelm and is situated near the intersection of Washington State Route 507 and SR 510.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 295 ft
- Area code
- 360
North Yelm’s neighbors
One town shares a border with North Yelm.
| Town | WA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Yelm | #168 | C+ | C | — | B− | B |
| Yelm | #174 | C+ | C− | C | B− | B+ |
North Yelm reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare North Yelm with a neighbor →
Questions about North Yelm
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is North Yelm, WA a good place to live?
North Yelm grades C+ overall, better than 36% of U.S. towns and #168 of 285 in Washington. It grades B for health and B− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is North Yelm, WA expensive?
The typical home is worth about $385,000, 35% below the Washington typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
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