Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Yelm grades C+ overall, 174th among Washington's 285 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is more walkable than 83% of U.S. towns. On the other side, homes are expensive, about $480K for a typical one and 5 times the Olympia metro’s $97K median household income. Yelm’s trail density is 3.4 miles per square mile, where Washington’s towns sit at 0.8 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Salsich Lumber Company Superintendent's House is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Yelm beats most towns.
6,848 counted in 2010 and 10,617 in 2020; an estimated 12,043 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 13% since 2020, after 55% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Yelm is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 384 in 1930, 10,617 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1909 and 5 maps from 1944 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Yelm, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Yelm.
Yelm has cooler summers than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Washington; it also has commutes longer than most of Washington.
On this, Yelm is against 4% in Washington’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. 20 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is YHS Prairie, 30 acres with 1.4 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. YHS Prairie | 1.4 mi | 30 |
| 2. Cochrane Memorial Park | 0.5 mi | 8 |
| 3. Longmire Community Park | 0.1 mi | 14 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Yelm School District. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Yelm High School 12, with 1,693 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yelm Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 652 | – |
| Yelm High School 12Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,693 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
The average commute for its 3,783 working residents takes 33.8 minutes, against 26.6 across Washington.
Most working residents leave Yelm for work: only 7% work in town. Yelm’s average trip to work is 34 minutes. Jobs based in Yelm fell to 2,207 in 2023, 230 fewer than in 2013.
| Yelm | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 8.7% | 15% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.1% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $91,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Within Washington it is less healthy than 57% of the 285 graded towns: Washington sets a high bar.
Yelm beats the Washington average on 6 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 63% of Yelm adults had a checkup this year. Only 5 of the 285 Washington towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Yelm.
| Yelm | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 63% | 71% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 26% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 17% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 7.9% | 9.8% | 12% |
| What stands out | Yelm | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6% | 7.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.2% | 5.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The violent crime rate in Yelm is 2.6 per 1,000 residents. Within Washington, it does better than 52% of towns.
| Yelm | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.6 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 14.5 per 1,000 residents | 15.1 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
July afternoons average 77.5°, cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns; January nights average 34.5°.
Yelm has mild winters and pleasant summers. About 4 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Yelm | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 78°F | 77°F | 85°F |
| January low | 35°F | 35°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 67% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Yelm since 2007.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Yelm home is worth about $480,000, about the same as a year ago, 18% below the Washington typical home.
| Yelm | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,626 a month | $1,740 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 71% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Yelm. Close and well known come first.
23 mi Stadium & arenaTacoma Dome
27 mi National ParkMount Rainier National Park1.6M visitors a year
28 mi Theme parkWild Waves Theme Park
22 mi Stadium & arenaCheney Stadium
26 mi GardenPoint Defiance Park
26 mi Zoo & aquariumPoint Defiance Zoo & AquariumTacoma 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
2 within 15 miles of the center of Yelm
About 8 of every 100 Yelm residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
1.2% of the town is conserved land, across 6 parks and preserves.
City in Washington, United States
Yelm () is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States bordering Pierce County along the Nisqually River. Its population was 10,617 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Yelm.
| Town | WA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yelm | #174 | C+ | C− | C | B− | B+ |
| North Yelm | #168 | C+ | C | — | B− | B |
North Yelm reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Yelm with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yelm grades C+ overall, better than 35% of U.S. towns and #174 of 285 in Washington. It grades B+ for health, C for safety and B− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Within Washington, it does better than 52% of towns.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
2 notable people were born here, including Daniel Gonzalez and J.T. Wilcox.
