Brier Library, 2020
Brier’s story
61 years in pictures
Census counts: 3,093 in 1970, 6,560 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2020 and 5 maps from 1942 on.
- 1965Brier is incorporated
BrierWA
A town of 6,597, incorporated in 1965.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Elwood j blues · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
6,597
2025 Census estimate · +0.8% since 2020
Typical home
$939K
−2.6% in a year
Household income
$132K
median
Median age
47.4
years
Jobs based here
360
A commuter town
TownGrade
B+
#46 of 285 in WA
Is Brier a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Brier grades B+ overall, 46th of 285 graded towns in Washington. It is healthier than 93% of U.S. towns. The median household earns $132K. The catch is cost: the typical home is worth about $939K, 8.2 years of the Seattle metro’s $115K median household income. Brier is more walkable than 83% of U.S. towns. Among 137 Washington towns, just 3 have a lower violent crime rate than Brier.
What makes Brier stand out
Where Brier beats most towns.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Brier for work
Where Brier’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
360jobs based in Brier
1%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Brier grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Brier is from typical.
HealthSwedish Edmonds Hospital 3 miles awayAOpen →Cost of livingDOpen →Jobs & incomeAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 9.9 of 20; 0.7% of households have no carA−Open →Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listCOpen →SchoolsB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trails; 5% conserved landA−Open →HistoryIncorporated 1965; 1 notable person born hereDOpen →Civic life3.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market3 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 47.4; 51% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 158 attractions →Space Needle and 135 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Brier. Close and well known come first.
Big draw12 mi LookoutSpace Needle
Big draw12 mi Stadium & arenaClimate Pledge Arena
Big draw14 mi Stadium & arenaLumen Field
14 mi Stadium & arenaT-Mobile Park
10 mi Stadium & arenaHusky Stadium
14 mi Ancient siteSeattle UndergroundSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Space Needle: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Climate Pledge Arena: Sea Cow, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lumen Field: "Smart Destinations", GoSeattleCard.com, and Go Seattle Card Blog, CC BY-SA 2.0 · T-Mobile Park: MyName (Cacophony), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Husky Stadium: Atomic Taco, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Seattle Underground: Mark Hursh, CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Brier: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brier, and how to reach them.
PowerPuget Sound Energy17.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAlderwood Water DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offSouthwest Transfer Station, 2 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 hereSnohomish County AuditorSnohomish County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2022
ZIP code9803698036 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 Brier.
Brier has fewer 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and has less no health insurance than most of Washington, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Washington.
HousingCost of living grade D
Brier’s grade for cost of living is a D
At 8.2 years of the Seattle metro’s $115K median household income, the typical home (about $939K) costs more against local pay than in 89% of Washington towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living. 68.5% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 49.9% across Washington.
90% of households own their home in Brier, above both the Washington town median (70%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). The typical Brier home is worth about $939,000, down 2.6% in a year, 60% above the Washington typical home.
$939KZillow home value
Typical home value
Brier$939K
Washington$588K
Market temperature
3
days on market
102.7%
sale-to-list price
−2.6%
value change, 1 year
5
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsB+
Brier’s schools rank ahead of 65% of Washington districts
Its public schools are run by the Edmonds School District. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
65%of WA districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brier Terrace Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 649 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
HealthA
Brier’s grade for health is an A
Its widest gap with Washington is no health insurance: 5.3% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 8.4% statewide.
15% of adults report frequent mental distress in Brier, against 17% in Washington’s towns and 17% across U.S. towns. 8.9% of Brier adults smoke cigarettes. Brier beats the Washington average on 15 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 3.
93%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Brier | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.9% | 11% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 71% | 79% |
31 measures vs. Washington
15 better13 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Brier | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.3% | 8.4% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.5% | 9.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.4% | 7.9% |
Swedish Edmonds Hospital
3 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
83rd
percentile among WA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsA−
5.3% of Brier is conserved land
2.4 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. Brier’s trail density is 1.1 miles per square mile.
#105for trails in WA
| Brier | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.1 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.3% | 4% | 4.3% |
5.3%
conserved · 73 of 1,394 acres
2.4 mi
of trails · 1.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. City Light Woods Park | 0.3 mi | 5 |
| 2. Brier City Park | 0.1 mi | 14 |
| 3. Brierwood Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
About one in three of Brier’s working residents commute to Seattle
Brier has 360 jobs for its 3,106 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. 29.6% of workers work from home, against 19.8% across Washington.
Most working residents leave Brier for work: only 1% work in town. 30% of workers work from home in Brier. Since 2013, Brier has added 120 jobs, to 360 in 2023.
1%work in town
| Brier | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 30% | 15% | 11% |
| Median household income | $132,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1% | 5% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Brier1%
Seattle34%
Everett7%
Bellevue6%
Redmond6%
12 mi
median commute distance
360
jobs based in Brier
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 83% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Brier, expect mild winters and pleasant summers
The Seattle Sand Pt Wsfo weather station, 7 miles away, records that about 2 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 95% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 74.4°, cooler than in 98% of U.S. towns; January nights average 35.8°.
Brier has mild winters and cool summers. The July high in Brier is 74°F. About 4 inches of snow falls in a winter.
4″snow a winter
| Brier | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 74°F | 77°F | 85°F |
| January low | 36°F | 35°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter36–47°
Spring42–58°
Summer53–73°
Fall45–60°
Nov 23
typical first frost
Mar 8
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Brier faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by earthquakes
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 1996, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Brier.
63risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland flooding
2
paid flood claims since 1996
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Safety
Property crime in Brier is lower than in most of Washington or the rest of the country
Brier's reported crime rate is well below Washington's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2024.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Brier0.2
Washington3.3
U.S.3.6
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Brier4
Washington25.2
U.S.17.7
1
violent crimes reported in 2024
26
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Brier
20pages on Brier
The big questions
SchoolsB+Beat 65% of WA districts · 2 schoolsSafety0.2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2024)HealthABetter than WA on 15 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingD$939K typical home · down 2.6% in a yearWork & commuteA$132K median household income · 360 jobs hereNatural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 63% of U.S. communities · earthquakes
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
19 within 15 miles of the center of Brier
Edmonds CollegeCommunity college · Public · Lynnwood3 mi$4,810 in-state tuitionUniversity of Washington-Bothell CampusUniversity or college · Public · Bothell4.4 mi$12,919 in-state tuitionBastyr UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Kenmore4.4 mi
About 3 of every 100 Brier residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
About Brier
City in Washington, United States
Brier is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is bordered by Mountlake Terrace to the west, Lynnwood to the north, Bothell to the east, and Lake Forest Park to the south. The population was 6,560 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 420 ft
- Area code
- 425
Brier’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Brier.
Bothell WestAlderwood ManorMountlake TerraceBrier
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brier | #46 | B+ | D | — | B+ | A |
| Bothell West | #13 | A | D | — | A | A+ |
| Alderwood Manor | #67 | B+ | D | — | B+ | A |
| Mountlake Terrace | #100 | B | D | C | B+ | A |
Brier, Bothell West and Alderwood Manor report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Brier with a neighbor →
Questions about Brier
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Brier, WA a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Brier grades B+ overall, better than 72% of U.S. towns and #46 of 285 in Washington. It grades A for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.