Photo: Rising*From*Ashes · CC BY-SA 4.0215 homes sold in Yelm in the last year, at a typical $522K
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Yelm homes are listed.
Every place Yelm homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Yelm.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
Houses are 100% of Yelm’s sales, at a typical $522K
215 homes sold in the year to May 2026.
typical sale · 215 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $254WA $348
- Days to sell
- 32
- Sold over asking
- 49%
- Listings with a price cut
- 23%
Fewer homes sell than a decade ago, at 2.2 times the 2016 price
215 sales in the last year, against 413 in 2019 and a low of 141 in 2012. The typical sale went from $236K in 2016 to $522K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $500K buys in Yelm
Check a listing against what Yelm homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Yelm are back to pre-pandemic levels, and more homes are for sale
We read every month of Yelm’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 215 sales.
If you’re buying in Yelm
- Shop in August. It brings about 34 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (55% over asking).
- Some room to negotiate. 23% of listings cut their price, about as many as before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 100.6% of the list price on average; 49% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 39% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 32 days.
Summer brings the homes; spring brings the bidding wars
June has the most new listings (about 39 a month), but May is the most competitive: 62% of May sales close over asking. July and August offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (59%). February has the least competition (46%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and hotter than Washington
| Yelm now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | WA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 49% | 52% | 84% | 27% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 39% | 56% | 87% | 39% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 23% | 22% | 35% | 30% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 100.6% | 100.3% | 105.4% | 99.2% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 32 | 17 | 5 | 33 |
62 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 6.4 times the 2020 low (10) and 73% more than in 2017–19.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
23% in the last year, against 22% in 2017–19 and 30% across Washington.
Yelm ranks 11th of 189 busy Washington markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Yelm is one of the state’s hottest markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Yelm home costs about $3,055 a month
Price: Yelm’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Yelm’s 0.8% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Yelm is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in June
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 13.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $522K home, about $3,990 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Yelm, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in YelmCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
No busy market nearby sells for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Yelm, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lacey | 682 | $503K | $292 | 32% | 23 |
| Yelm | 215 | $522K | $254 | 49% | 32 |
| DuPont | 156 | $540K | $293 | 28% | 26 |
| Tanglewilde | 57 | $485K | $299 | 35% | 27 |
| North Yelm | 28 | $455K | $278 | 57% | 57 |
| Tenino | 28 | $378K | $288 | 18% | 45 |
| Rainier | 26 | $489K | $277 | 31% | 79 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Yelm, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Yelm. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Yelm with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Yelm
What do homes sell for in Yelm, WA?
215 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $522K, $254 a square foot.
Is Yelm a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 83 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 24 sold, about 3.5 months of supply. Buyers paid 100.6% of asking on average, and 23% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Yelm?
June brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Yelm?
About 0.8% of a home’s value a year. On a $522K home that’s near $3,990.
Where can I see homes for sale in Yelm?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Yelm’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Yelm.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).