Census-designated place · Thurston County, Washington

North Yelm, Washington

North Yelm is a census-designated place in Thurston County, Washington, part of the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metro area. It has 2,522 residents. North Yelm, Washington has a quality-of-life score of 55 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #7,030 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Washington it ranks #219 of 395 cities and towns. It ranks best on poverty rate (low), median Air Quality Index (low) and mental health providers (high). It ranks worst on bachelor's degree or higher (low), depression (high) and drug overdose deaths (high).

55Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #7,030 of 15,651 cities and towns
Washington: #219 of 395 in WA
Population: 2,522 (2020-2024)
Land area: 3 mi²
Density: 762.9 /mi²
FIPS code: 5350210

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 74 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety40#9,383/15,637
Economy87#2,099/15,631
Housing37#9,464/14,977
Health43#8,936/15,609
Healthcare55#6,991/15,650
Environment88#1,805/15,453
Education27#11,413/15,649
Infrastructure61#6,072/15,650
Community47#8,349/15,651
Leisure & amenities44#8,830/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where North Yelm, Washington ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Thurston County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Poverty rate · low2.1%
96/100Washington 10.0%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001High uncertainty
Median Air Quality Index · low27
96/100Washington 382025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyThurston County value
Mental health providers · high616 /100k
93/100Washington 568 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteThurston County value
Preventable hospital stays · low1,702 /100k
93/100Washington 1,865 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteThurston County value
Unemployment rate · low1.3%
90/100Washington 4.7%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025High uncertainty
Distance to an Amtrak station · low6 mi
89/100Washington 13 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauThurston County value

Weaknesses

Bachelor's degree or higher · low6.9%
4/100Washington 39.6%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003High uncertainty
Depression · high29.4%
6/100Washington 25.5%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Drug overdose deaths · high31.1 /100k
8/100Washington 32.7 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataThurston County value
Suicide rate · high23.7 /100k
11/100Washington 17.0 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataThurston County value
Mammography screening · low37.0%
11/100Washington 41.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteThurston County value
Pharmacies · low1.0 /10k
13/100Washington 1.0 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsThurston County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
3,365 (2015-2019) → 2,522 (2020-2024)
−25%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateImproving
26.9% (2015-2019) → 0.0% (2020-2024)
−27 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.5× (2015-2019) → 5.2× (2020-2024)
+112%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Poverty rateImproving
14.5% (2015-2019) → 2.1% (2020-2024)
−12 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
46.2% (2015-2019) → 57.6% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
High school diploma or higherImproving
84.1% (2015-2019) → 94.0% (2020-2024)
+9.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, North Yelm, Washington improved on 0 of 9 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 8 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined1

Price / income+2.8×2.5× → 5.2×

All 9 measures

Change of every measure of North Yelm, Washington between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	31.9 min2015-2019	35.1 min2020-2024	+3.3 min	Within the margin of error	18%
Broadband subscriptions	87.5%2015-2019	95.2%2020-2024	+7.8 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Effective property tax rate	0.97%2015-2019	0.66%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	76%
High school diploma or higher	84.1%2015-2019	94.0%2020-2024	+9.9 points	Within the margin of error	95%
Home price to income ratio	2.5×2015-2019	5.2×2020-2024	+2.8×	Declined	2%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3682015-2019	0.2912020-2024	−0.077	Within the margin of error	92%
Median household income	$56,7582015-2019	$73,7252020-2024	+30%	Within the margin of error	55%
Rent as share of income	28.9%2015-2019	35.7%2020-2024	+6.8 points	Within the margin of error	16%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	7.7%2015-2019	8.5%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	37%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like North Yelm, Washington five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of North Yelm, Washington in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, North Yelm, Washington itself moved −1.3 points in standing on average over the same 8 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

2,522 residents (±647)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

2,522 residents (±647)

North Yelm, Washington
Washington share

White86%2,165
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino3.8%†95

Education

1,823 residents (±476)

North Yelm, Washington
Washington share

No high school diploma6.0%†110
High school or GED50%†911
Some college28%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

1,073 households (±276)

North Yelm, Washington
Washington share

Under $25k4.8%†52
$25k–50k12%†128
$50k–75k38%†408
$75k–100k18%†188
$100k–150k26%†282
$150k–200k0.0%0
$200k or more1.4%†15

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $50k–75k (+21.1 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

1,073 households (±276)

North Yelm, Washington
Washington share

Own75%†802
Rent25%†271

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

271 households (±148)

North Yelm, Washington
Washington share

Under $7500.0%0
$750–1,0000.0%0
$1,000–1,50057%†155

Home values

802 homes (±265)

North Yelm, Washington
Washington share

Under $150k15%†119
$150k–250k7.0%†56
$250k–400k32%†254

Age of homes

1,154 homes (±298)

North Yelm, Washington
Washington share

2010 or later4.0%†46
2000–20096.4%†74
1980–199972%†828

Size of homes

1,154 homes (±298)

North Yelm, Washington
Washington share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom1.1%†13
2 bedrooms26%†303

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

1,557 workers (±430)

North Yelm, Washington
Washington share

Drive alone73%†1,129
Carpool4.6%†72
Public transit0.0%0
Walk2.6%†40
Bike0.0%0
Work from home12%†191
Other8.0%†125

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+9.9 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

1,366 workers (±425)

North Yelm, Washington
Washington share

Under 15 min29%†400
15–29 min11%†156
30–44 min17%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Thurston County, the county holding most of North Yelm's residents.

Thurston County has 6,656 employer establishments, 222 for every 10,000 residents (0.90× the US rate of 248; 0.86× Washington's), with 86,664 paid employees at an average annual pay of $53,456. The Census Bureau also counts 18,681 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 6,656; 18,681 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 222; US 248 · Washington 258
Paid employees: 86,664
Average annual pay: $53,456; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Thurston County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	664	22.2	1.06×About typical	7,103	$67,699	1,303
Specialty trade contractors	524	17.5	1.13×About typical	4,008	$71,229	780
Restaurants and other eating places	493	16.5	0.90×About typical	8,407	$27,458	46
Lessors of real estate	375	12.5	1.02×About typical	1,112	$52,228	1,951
Construction of buildings	317	10.6	1.40×More than typical	1,666	$82,219	391
Offices of other health practitioners	252	8.4	1.39×More than typical	1,302	$45,654	847
Services to buildings and dwellings	222	7.4	1.10×About typical	1,168	$38,978	742
Limited-service restaurants	193	6.5	0.80×About typical	3,799	$23,812	21
Full-service restaurants	191	6.4	0.83×About typical	3,361	$32,727	10
Personal care services	174	5.8	1.22×About typical	861	$37,482	669
Offices of physicians	172	5.7	0.89×About typical	2,592	$82,025	202
Building equipment contractors	159	5.3	0.88×About typical	1,641	$81,152	109

Rank places for an industry Open Thurston County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 299,197 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in North Yelm, Washington: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

2KFY2017
1.8KFY2018
2.1KFY2019
6.2KFY2020
-4KFY2021
222.1FY2022
0FY2023

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in North Yelm, Washington, so they do not add up across cities.

North Yelm, Washington's figures are part of those of Thurston County, WA ($9.9M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: North Yelm is mostly in Thurston County.

See federal money in Thurston County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

North Yelm, Washington is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).