Median Income
$88,818
household / year
Median Home Value
$382,200
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$1,355
gross / month
Cost of Living
106
national avg = 100

Is Yelm, WA a Good Place to Live?

Yelm is a small city of 10,438 in Washington, with a median household income of $88,818 and a 4.7% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 106 (US average = 100), which is 6% above the national average.

Strengths: Yelm stands out for lower-than-average crime.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include longer commutes. Whether Yelm is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Yelm city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 106.1

Yelm's overall cost of living index is 106.1, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Yelm costs roughly 6% more than the average American city.

Metric Yelm, WA National Avg
Median Home Value $382,200 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $1,355 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 70.4% 65.9%
Median Household Income $88,818 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Safer than Average

Yelm's violent crime rate is 277.3 per 100,000 residents — 27% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
277.3 /100k
Property Crime
1876.2 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Yelm is served primarily by Yelm School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 20.0:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).

Metric Yelm, WA National Avg
School District Yelm School District —
Elementary Schools 6 —
Middle Schools 2 —
High Schools 2 —
Student/Teacher Ratio 20.0:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 21.2% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 93.6% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Yelm sees average highs of 46.0°F in January and 77.6°F in July, with 54.0 inches of annual precipitation and 3.9 inches of snow per year.

MetricYelm, WA
Average High — January46.0°F
Average High — July77.6°F
Annual Precipitation54.0"
Annual Snowfall3.9"

Demographics

MetricYelm, WANational Avg
Population10,438—
Median Age31.438.9
Unemployment Rate4.7%3.7%
Avg Commute Time35.6 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)71.7%59.3%
Black or African American3.4%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino6.1%18.9%
Asian1.0%6.3%
Under 1829.9%22.2%
65 and over7.2%16.8%

Nearby Cities

North Yelm, WA 2 mi Rainier, WA 4 mi McKenna, WA 4 mi Roy, WA 6 mi Nisqually Indian Community, WA 6 mi

ZIP Codes in Yelm

Yelm, WA is covered by 1 ZIP code:

98597

Yelm vs Other Cities

Yelm, WA vs North Yelm, WA Yelm, WA vs Rainier, WA Yelm, WA vs McKenna, WA Yelm, WA vs Roy, WA Yelm, WA vs Nisqually Indian Community, WA

Frequently Asked Questions

Yelm's cost of living index is 106, where 100 is the national average. That puts Yelm roughly 6% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $382,200 and median rent is $1,355/month.
Yelm's violent crime rate is 277.3 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1876.2 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Public schools in Yelm are operated by Yelm School District. The district has 6 elementary, 2 middle, and 2 high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 20.0:1. 21.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Yelm, WA has a population of 10,438, a median household income of $88,818, and an unemployment rate of 4.7%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Yelm averages 46.0°F in January and 77.6°F in July. Annual rainfall is 54.0 inches with about 3.9 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Yelm, WA is covered by 1 ZIP code: 98597.
The population of Yelm, Washington is 10,438 with a median age of 31.4. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Yelm: cost of living index 106 (100 = US average), median home $382,200, median household income $88,818, crime index 80 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated C+. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Yelm side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.