D.S. Gamble Mill, 1911
Brewster’s story
128 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1911.
- 1898Brewster is settled
BrewsterWA
A town of 2,093, settled in 1898.
Fort Okanogan, Sites of · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
2,093
2025 Census estimate · +5.5% since 2020
Typical home
$321K
+1.8% in a year
Household income
$39K
median
Median age
26.8
years
Jobs based here
728
Balanced
Is Brewster a good place to live?
Brewster’s best subject grade is an A for walkability; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 25% of residents live below the poverty line in Brewster, above both the Washington town median (7.9%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). On incomes, just 6 of Washington’s 396 towns do worse. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 93% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Brewster's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 92% of U.S. towns. Brewster has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Brewster stand out
Where Brewster beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A shrinking town
Brewster has shrunk 12% since 2010
2,370 counted in 2010 and 1,983 in 2020; an estimated 2,093 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Brewster grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Brewster is from typical.
Jobs & income$39K median household income; 728 jobs based hereD−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 9.5 of 20; 13.3% of households have no carAOpen →Cost of livingC−Open →HealthLess healthy than 73% of U.S. towns; Three Rivers Hospital 0.6 miles awayCOpen →SchoolsCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 1% conserved landBOpen →HistoryC−Open →Civic life2.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 26.8; 5% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Brewster: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brewster, and how to reach them.
PowerPUD No 1 of Okanogan County10.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Brewster water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers57% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offBridgeport Bar Transfer Station, 3 miOpenStreetMap
Register to voteOnlineIn Washington you can register online until 8 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 8 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereOkanogan County AuditorOkanogan County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP code9881298812 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Brewster.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Brewster faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
One flood insurance claim has been paid in Brewster since 2008.
93risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireAvalanches
1
paid flood claims since 2008
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsC
Brewster’s schools rank behind 68% of Washington districts
Its public schools are run by the Brewster School District. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Brewster High School, with 339 students.
32%of WA districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brewster Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 425 | – |
| Brewster High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 339 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade C−
A typical Brewster home is worth about $321K
On this, Brewster is against 71% in Washington’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. The typical Brewster home is worth about $321,000, up 1.8% in a year, 45% below the Washington typical home. Brewster’s median rent is $1,005 a month.
$321KZillow home value
| Brewster | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 45% | 71% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,005 a month | $1,739 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Brewster$321K
Washington$588K
+1.8%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthC
Brewster stands out in Washington and nationally, with more of its adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance
27% of Brewster adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance. Brewster beats the Washington average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 68% of Brewster adults had a checkup this year.
27%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Brewster | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 7.8% | 8.1% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 17% | 19% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 68% | 71% | 79% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 18% | 25% |
31 measures vs. Washington
1 better11 too close to call19 worse
| What stands out | Brewster | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.7% | 7.9% |
| More uninsured adults | 26.6% | 8.4% |
Three Rivers Hospital
0.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Four seasons and hot summers in Brewster
Brewster has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. The July high in Brewster is 90°F.
28″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–36°
Spring39–64°
Summer57–87°
Fall39–62°
Oct 11
typical first frost
Apr 26
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Compared with most of Washington and the rest of the country, the median household income in Brewster is lower
Only 1 of the 286 Washington towns we compare have a lower median household income than Brewster. 12% of working residents work locally in Brewster. Only 10 of the 286 Washington towns we compare have a lower average trip to work than Brewster.
12%work in town
| Brewster | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $39,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 4.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Brewster12%
Chelan7%
Pateros5%
Wenatchee4%
Omak3%
20 mi
median commute distance
728
jobs based in Brewster
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 89% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Safety
Crime reported in Brewster
Brewster's reported crime rate is below Washington's. Only 1 of the 133 Washington towns we compare have a lower violent crime rate than Brewster. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Brewster | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 12.3 per 1,000 residents | 15 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Brewster0
Washington2.9
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Brewster12.3
Washington20.2
U.S.15.5
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
26
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
1.4%conserved
| Brewster | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.4% | 4% | 4.3% |
1.4%
conserved · 14 of 961 acres
0.5 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Inning Field | — | 12 |
| 2. Columbia Cove Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Brewster
19pages on Brewster
The big questions
SchoolsCBehind 68% of WA districts · 5 schoolsSafety0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthCBetter than WA on 1 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingC−$321K typical home · up 1.8% in a yearWork & commuteD−$39K median household income · 728 jobs hereNatural hazardsD−FEMA risk higher than 93% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Brewster; the nearest are
Wenatchee Valley CollegeCommunity college · Public · Wenatchee53.6 mi$5,267 in-state tuitionCentral Washington UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Ellensburg84.3 mi$9,417 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Brewster residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Washington.
About Brewster
City in Washington, United States
Brewster is a city in Okanogan County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,983 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 814 ft
- ZIP code
- 98812
- Area code
- 509
Questions about Brewster
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Brewster, WA expensive?
Yes. That is 5.1 years of the area's median household income ($63,207 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.