City · Washington
Yelm, Washington
Yelm, city, in Thurston County, Washington. Yelm had 12,043 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 13.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 10,617 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 11,102 (±89). GEOID 5380220.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
12,043
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 10,617 · ACS 2020-2024: 11,102 ±89
Median household income
$90,750
±$5,039 (90% margin)
Washington: $98,141
Median home value
$455,300
±$20,808 (90% margin)
Washington: $564,600
Median gross rent
$1,626
±$348 (90% margin)
Washington: $1,760
Where is Yelm and what county is it in?
Yelm is a city in Thurston County, Washington. It covers 5.8 square miles of land, 1,826 residents per square mile in 2020.
Yelm is in the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Yelm, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 12,043 people lived in Yelm on July 1, 2025, up 13.0% since 2020, faster than Washington (+3.8%). The 2020 Census counted 10,617 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 11,102 (±89).
| Measure | Yelm | Thurston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 11,102 ±89 | 299,067 | +2,117 |
| Households | 3,703 ±268 | 118,899 | +957 |
| Average household size | 2.98 ±0.22 | 2.48 | −0.29 |
| Housing units | 3,748 ±263 | 125,163 | +807 |
Yelm's population since 2000
From 3,289 in 2000 to 12,043 in 2025: up 266.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Yelm as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Yelm?
The median resident of Yelm is 31.0 years old; 29.4% are under 18 and 7.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 63.2%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 16.3%. 8.2% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Yelm | Thurston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.0 ±2.0 | 40.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 29.4% ±2.6 pts | 20.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 7.0% ±2.1 pts | 18.7% | – |
| Male | 50.7% ±3.2 pts | 49.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 16.3% ±3.7 pts | 10.6% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 63.2% ±6.6 pts | 69.5% | −13.3 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 4.8% ±2.3 pts | 3.2% | +4.3 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±0.9 pts | 6.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 1.2% ±1.2 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 5.1% ±4.2 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 8.1% ±2.7 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.4 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 8.2% ±3.2 pts | 8.3% | +6.0 pts |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 11.8% ±4.1 pts | 11.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 18.6% ±4.6 pts | 12.6% | – |
| With a disability | 16.6% ±2.7 pts | 16.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.0% ±2.3 pts | 5.0% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 93.3% ±3.0 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 27.4% ±5.9 pts | 38.5% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 10.6% ±3.7 pts | 14.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 83.4% ±4.6 pts | 85.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 6.9% ±3.8 pts | 3.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Yelm earn?
Half of Yelm's 3,703 households earn less than $90,750 a year (±$5,039), against $96,563 in Thurston County and $98,141 in Washington. In 2015-2019 it was $92,302 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 6.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Yelm | Thurston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $90,750 ±$5,039 | $96,563 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $98,043 ±$7,628 | $114,140 | – |
| Per capita income | $34,142 ±$3,203 | $46,136 | +$4,109 |
| People below the poverty line | 6.1% ±2.2 pts | 9.5% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 4.0% ±2.9 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 9.0% ±4.6 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.7% ±1.6 pts | 97.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 91.3% ±4.6 pts | 94.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Yelm?
Owners occupy 66.6% of Yelm's occupied homes and renters 33.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $455,300 by its owner (±$20,808). The median renter pays $1,626 a month including utilities, and 33.9% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Yelm | Thurston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $455,300 ±$20,808 | $480,300 | +$141,227 |
| Median gross rent | $1,626 ±$348 | $1,736 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 33.9% ±13.8 pts | 43.8% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,504 ±$167 | $2,288 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 66.6% ±6.0 pts | 67.7% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 33.4% ±6.0 pts | 32.3% | – |
| Housing units | 3,748 ±263 | 125,163 | +807 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.9% ±1.5 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±3.1 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 75.3% ±6.2 pts | 66.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.7% ±2.1 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 3.0% ±1.6 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 25.7% ±6.0 pts | 13.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 6.2% ±3.9 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.6% ±4.4 pts | 4.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Yelm building?
Builders took permits for 187 new housing units in Yelm in 2025 (85 in single-family houses), 15.5 per 1,000 residents against 4.4 across Washington.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Yelm work and get to work?
71.7% of Yelm's workers drive alone and 8.7% work from home. The average trip to work takes 33.8 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 3.8%.
| Measure | Yelm | Thurston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 69.7% ±3.5 pts | 61.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% ±2.0 pts | 5.2% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 71.7% ±5.1 pts | 66.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 12.7% ±4.8 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 1.0% ±1.2 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Walked | 2.7% ±1.9 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 8.7% ±3.0 pts | 20.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 33.8 min ±3.1 | 25.8 min | −6.6 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Yelm?
1 census tract lies mostly in Yelm, and 3 more reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 124.12Thurston County | 6,287 | $94,145 |
| Tract 124.22Thurston County | 6,989 | $73,243 |
| Tract 124.21Thurston County | 3,112 | $102,614 |
| Tract 124.20Thurston County | 4,253 | $132,557 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Yelm) · Census block assignment files
How does Yelm compare with other places in Washington?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Yelm is the 2,822nd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 84th-most populous of 281 in Washington.
Yelm ranks 208th of 387 places in Washington with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 84th | 281 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 29th | 203 |
| Residents per square mile | 158th | 394 |
| Median household income | 208th | 387 |
| Per capita income | 316th | 393 |
| Median home value | 232nd | 384 |
| Median gross rent | 187th | 351 |
| Poverty rate | 214th | 281 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 214th | 382 |
| Median age | 366th | 394 |
| Owner-occupied share | 245th | 388 |
| Work from home | 265th | 307 |
| Travel time to work | 64th | 394 |
Yelm's figures with every place in Washington (CSV)
Every place in Washington, sortable · Compare Yelm with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Yelm?
10 of the 57 figures for Yelm on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Yelm are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Yelm.