Yelm receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Olympia
Yelm
Opportunity
73 · Top 17%
vs71 · Top 21%
Growth
52 · Top 47%
vs71 · Top 15%
Climate
69 · Bottom 44%
vs69 · Bottom 44%
Physical resilience
32 · Bottom 25%
vs32 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
59 · Bottom 19%
vs69 · Bottom 33%
Access
76 · Bottom 18%
vs79 · Bottom 21%
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 37%
vs79 · Top 10%
Measured values
| Metric | Olympia | Yelm | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 55,951 | 11,102 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $81,302 | $90,750 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $45,674 | $34,142 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,071/sq mi | 1,910/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $486,200 | $455,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,599 | $1,626 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 49.8% | 66.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.8% | 0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51.8% | 27.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.0% | 6.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 217 | 127 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.9 | 11.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -26.2% | -27.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 78°F | 78°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 50.6" | 50.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 39 mi | 38 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.6 min | 36.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.5 | 31.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 14 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.83 | 20.85 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 42.9% | 48.1% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Olympia
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Yelm
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Olympia, WA · Yelm, WA · How this is calculated: methodology