FEMA puts 44% of Methow’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 40% to wildfires. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 99% of U.S. communities.

99risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingWildfireAvalanches

Full pageMethow’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesVery high risk Flood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on record Past disasters35 disaster declarations · Declared for the county Get ready2 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Housing

The typical home in Methow is valued at about $334K

Just over four fifths of Methow households own their home. Typical home values fell 5% in the year to September 2026.

$334KZillow home value

Typical home value

Methow$334K

Washington$588K

−5%

value change, 1 year

Full pageMethow’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsDown 5% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 5.7 years of income RentsRents

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Climate

The climate in Methow brings four seasons and pleasant summers

Methow’s peak summer temperature stands at 87°F, against 77°F in Washington’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns.

21″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter21–35°

Spring37–61°

Summer53–83°

Fall37–60°

Oct 15

typical first frost

Apr 21

typical last frost

+1.0°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageMethow’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 87°, January lows 20°Rain & snow21″ of snow a winter · 14 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+1.0° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

How healthy Methow is

For adults in Methow, the share who say their health is fair or poor is 20%. Among adults here, 15% report frequent physical distress, where Washington’s towns sit at 13% and U.S. towns at 14%.

	Methow	Washington towns	U.S. towns
Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES)	73%	71%	79%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)	15%	13%	14%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)	15%	11%	14%
Obesity (CDC PLACES)	31%	33%	35%

31 measures vs. Washington

0 better22 too close to call9 worse

What stands out	Methow	WA
More adults with COPD	8.3%	5.1%
More smokers	15.1%	10.1%
More adults who have had a stroke	3.8%	2.9%

Three Rivers Hospital

10.4 mi away · emergency room

3 of 3

care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

Full pageMethow’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore smokers Hospitals & doctors nearby10.4 miles to an ER · Three Rivers Hospital How adults are doingMore adults in frequent physical distress Every CDC estimateBetter than WA on 0 of 31

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Outdoors

0% of Methow is conserved land

0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.

0%conserved

conserved · 0 of 439 acres

0.0 mi

of trails · 0 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Burma Road Water Access Area	—	2

Full pageMethow’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map0.0 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk2 acres · Burma Road Water Access Area Conserved land0% conserved · 0 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Methow?”

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Methow

17pages on Methow

The big questions

HealthBetter than WA on 0 of 31 CDC measures Cost of living$334K typical home · down 5% in a year Work & commute$59K median household income Natural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 99% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

Outdoors0 mi of trails · 0% conserved land PlacesAttractions13 nearby · Loup Loup Ski Bowl 19 mi LibraryPateros Public Library Colleges

The story

HistorySettled 1889 Famous people1 born in Methow Climate87° summer highs · 21″ of snow

Day to day

NewsWeatherHandbookZIP code 98834 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Methow; the nearest are

Wenatchee Valley CollegeCommunity college · Public · Wenatchee50.8 mi$5,267 in-state tuition Central Washington UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Ellensburg81.8 mi$9,417 in-state tuition

About 0 of every 100 Methow residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

About Methow

Unincorporated community in Washington, United States

Methow ( MET-how), is an unincorporated community in Okanogan County, Washington, United States. The community had a population of 246 at the 2020 census.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1889
Area: 0.7 sq mi
Elevation: 1,154 ft
ZIP code: 98834
Area code: 509

Questions about Methow

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Methow, WA a good place to live?

Methow has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Post to Methow

Check your email

MethowWA

Is Methow a good place to live?

58 people, and everyone knows the way

137 years in pictures

Moving to Methow: who provides what

The data

Compared with most of Washington and the rest of the country, the FEMA risk score in Methow is higher