Photo: Rising*From*Ashes · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Yelm, WA: what to set up and who to call
Yelm has its own drop-off, Yelm Waste Transfer Station. Providence St. Peter Hospital, 12.2 miles away, is the nearest emergency room.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Yelm, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Yelm.
Power comes from Puget Sound Energy
Puget Sound Energy (Puget Sound Energy Inc), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Yelm. Its homes paid an average of 17.0¢ per kWh in 2025, about $147 a month (its average across Washington).
Start or move service: pse.com · (888) 225-5773
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from City of Yelm water system
The City of Yelm water system supplies almost all of Yelm. It draws ground water and serves 17,355 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 83% of the 3,525 systems serving 10,001–50,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2022–Dec 2024, was 1.9 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 64% of similar systems’ latest results.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. WA5399350.
5 home internet providers serve Yelm
99% of 3,350 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 31% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable | 99% | 2,000/250 |
| Lightcurve | DSL, Fiber | 78% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 28% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 10% | 100/20 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 2% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Yelm has its own drop-off: Yelm Waste Transfer Station
Where to take trash and recycling in Yelm, and where the rules are.
Yelm Waste Transfer Station
Before you go, check the rules on ci.yelm.wa.us.
OpenStreetMap, as of Oct 9, 2026 (last edited Oct 2024). © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of Yelm (83%) is in Yelm Community Schools; parts are in Rainier School District (17%).
B−School gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Aug 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Yelm is in ZIP code 98597
ZIP codes where Yelm residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Yelm | ZIP’s residents in Yelm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98597 | Yelm, WA | 100% | 39% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Yelm
Who supplies Yelm’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The City of Yelm water system (EPA ID WA5399350). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 83% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 1.9 ppb (Jan 2022–Dec 2024), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Yelm?
Puget Sound Energy (Puget Sound Energy Inc), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 17.0¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Yelm?
Xfinity, Lightcurve, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Yelm?
98597. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Yelm in?
Yelm Community Schools. Parts of the city are in Rainier School District.
How do I register to vote in Yelm?
In Washington you can register online until 8 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 8 days before). Elections here are run by the Thurston County Auditor. Check your registration at voter.votewa.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.