Tumwater, WA vs Yelm, WA

Yelm is moderately more affordable than Tumwater, with a 7.6% lower cost of living index. Tumwater scores 123 compared to 115 for Yelm, where the US average is 100. This difference means residents of Tumwater can expect to pay noticeably more for everyday expenses, housing, and services.

On the housing front, median rent in Tumwater is $1,654/month compared to $1,363/month in Yelm — a 21% difference. Interestingly, home values tell a different story: while Yelm has cheaper rent, Tumwater actually has lower median home values ($438,000 vs $439,100).

Median household income in Tumwater is $93,635 compared to $88,279 in Yelm (+6.1%). The higher salaries in Tumwater partially offset the cost difference, but don't fully close the gap. Looking at affordability, residents of Tumwater spend roughly 21.2% of their income on rent, more than the 18.5% in Yelm.

Climate-wise, both cities share similar average temperatures (50.5°F vs 50.5°F). Yelm receives more rainfall at 50.6" per year compared to 50.6" in Tumwater.