Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Brookings grades D overall, 119th among Oregon's 142 graded towns, mostly because of schools. Its public schools trail 84% of Oregon towns on state tests and graduation. In its favor, it is more walkable than 85% of U.S. towns. 36% of working residents work locally in Brookings, against 9.5% in Oregon’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 90% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. Brookings has 1 place on the National Register.
Where Brookings beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Brookings is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 515 in 1920, a low of 250 in 1930, 6,744 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1980 and 2 maps from 1954 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brookings, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Oct 2, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Brookings.
Brookings has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, but it is a long drive from an emergency room and has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Oregon.
Only 8 of the 142 Oregon towns we compare have a higher FEMA risk score than Brookings. Since 1996, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Brookings.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by Brookings-Harbor SD 17C. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Brookings-Harbor High School, with 422 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalmiopsis Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 547 | – |
| Brookings-Harbor High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 422 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state tests and graduation
4.7 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves. Brookings’ trail density is 1.2 miles per square mile. Harris Beach State Park, at 96 acres with 1.4 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Brookings | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.2 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.9% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Harris Beach State Park | 1.4 mi | 96 |
| 2. Azalea Park | 0.5 mi | 34 |
| 3. Chetco Point Park | 0.5 mi | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The Gold Beach Rs weather station, 24 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 314 days, longer than in 97% of U.S. towns. January nights average 42.4°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 69.1°.
The January low in Brookings is 42°F. Brookings has warm winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Brookings is 69°F.
| Brookings | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 69°F | 82°F | 85°F |
| January low | 42°F | 36°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 2,159 working residents takes 14.7 minutes, against 23 across Oregon.
About one in 3 of Brookings’s working residents works in town. 17% of Brookings residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Brookings grew to 2,609 in 2023, 236 more than in 2013.
| Brookings | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 15 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $75,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The nearest emergency room, Curry General Hospital, is 24.1 miles away in a straight line.
Brookings beats the Oregon average on 2 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 30% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Brookings.
| Brookings | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | Brookings | OR |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 71.2% | 63.4% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 76.2% | 71.4% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.9% | 6.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 7.7 years of the Brookings area’s $62K median household income, the typical home (about $478K) costs more against local pay than in 89% of Oregon towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living.
The typical Brookings home is worth about $478,000, down 0.8% in a year, close to the Oregon typical home.
| Brookings | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 60% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,415 a month | $1,413 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Reported crimes fell from 104 to 53 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Among 75 Oregon towns, just 6 have a lower property crime rate than Brookings. Within Oregon, it does better than 78% of towns.
| Brookings | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.4 per 1,000 residents | 15.6 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Brookings; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Brookings residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
City in Oregon, United States
Brookings is a city in Curry County, Oregon, United States. It was named after John E. Brookings, president of the Brookings Lumber & Box Company, who founded the city in 1908. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,744.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Brookings grades D overall, better than 7% of U.S. towns and #119 of 142 in Oregon. It grades C+ for health, B− for safety and C− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Within Oregon, it does better than 78% of towns.
Yes. That is 7.7 years of the area's median household income ($62,244 across the Brookings, OR area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.