The Town FilesYelm, Washington
City in Thurston County · population 10,617 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $455,300
- Household income
- $90,750
- Jan low / Jul high
- 33° / 78°
- Snow a year
- 4 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 3
- Median age
- 31.0
Yelm is a city of 10,617 people in Thurston County, Washington. The median home is worth $455,300, close to the typical Washington town ($475,000). It ranks more of a college town than 85% of Washington towns, easier by car than 80% of Washington towns, better for cycling than 79% of Washington towns.
How Yelm ranks
Percentile among Washington towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Washington towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Yelm is worth $455,300, close to the typical Washington town ($475,000). Homes cost about 5.0 times the median household income of $90,750, which is more affordable than 61% of Washington towns. Median rent is $1,626 a month. 66.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Yelm | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $455,300 | $475,000 |
| Median rent | $1,626 | $1,597 |
| Median household income | $90,750 | $90,625 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.0× | 5.3× |
| Homeownership | 66.6% | 74.4% |
| Median year built | 2004 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Yelm
| People | Yelm | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.0 | 40.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 7.0% | 17.9% |
| Under 18 | 29.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.4% | 27.6% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.1% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 18.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 8.2% | — |
| Work from home | 8.7% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 33.8 min | 27.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 91.3% | 93.9% |
Weather in Yelm
July highs average 77.6°F and January lows 33.2°F. About 50.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 4.3 inches of snow (typical Washington town: 4.0 in). Expect about 7 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 77 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Yelm since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Washington town. The strongest, an F0, struck on January 28, 2006 about 5.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on January 28, 2006.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.50 inches on September 1, 1997.
Severe weather in Thurston County since 1996
Thurston County has been included in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, biological.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 7, 2026 | Flood | DR-4906: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| December 12, 2025 | Flood | EM-3629: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 29, 2022 | Flood | DR-4650: Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding |
| September 9, 2020 | Fire | FM-5359: Bordeaux Road Fire |
| April 23, 2020 | Flood | DR-4539: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Thurston County
Thurston County had 128,824 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $72,043 a year. Unemployment was 4.1% in 2023; in Yelm itself the ACS puts it at 3.8%.
Public schools in Yelm
9 public schools with 5,351 students, about 18.3 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yelm High School 12 | 9-12 | 1,677 | 21.8 |
| Yelm Middle School | 6-8 | 683 | 19.5 |
| Southworth Elementary | PK-5 | 669 | 17.6 |
| Ridgeline Middle School | 6-8 | 578 | 17.0 |
| Fort Stevens Elementary | PK-5 | 491 | 14.9 |
| Yelm Prairie Elementary | PK-5 | 438 | 16.8 |
| Mill Pond Elementary School | PK-5 | 397 | 15.9 |
| Lackamas Elementary | PK-5 | 290 | 14.5 |
| Yelm Extension School | 9-12 | 128 | 32.0 |
Towns near Yelm
- North Yelm, WA2.2 mi · 3,140 people · home $384,500
- Tanglewilde, WA10.0 mi · 6,265 people · home $444,900
- Lacey, WA10.1 mi · 53,526 people · home $457,100
- Fort Lewis, WA11.2 mi · 14,052 people · home —
- DuPont, WA11.4 mi · 10,151 people · home $583,600
- South Creek, WA12.5 mi · 2,519 people · home $610,600
- North Fort Lewis, WA12.6 mi · 5,978 people · home —
- Tumwater, WA13.3 mi · 25,350 people · home $472,200
Yelm questions
Is Yelm, Washington a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Yelm scores better for retirees than 6% of Washington towns and quieter than 20%. 7.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 31.0).
How much does a house cost in Yelm?
The median owner-occupied home in Yelm is valued at $455,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $90,750, so homes cost about 5.0 times income. Median rent is $1,626 a month.
What is the weather like in Yelm?
July highs average 77.6°F and January lows 33.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 50.6 inches of precipitation a year and 4.3 inches of snow.
Does Yelm get tornadoes?
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Yelm since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on January 28, 2006. The typical Washington town has had 1.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)