City · Okanogan County, Washington

Brewster, Washington

Brewster is a city in Okanogan County, Washington. It has 1,653 residents. Brewster, Washington has a quality-of-life score of 17 out of 100 (very low), ranking #12,974 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Washington it ranks #381 of 395 cities and towns. It ranks best on grocery stores (high), preventable hospital stays (low) and public libraries (high). It ranks worst on bachelor's degree or higher (low), drug overdose deaths (high) and flu vaccinations (low).

17Very low

Quality-of-life score: #12,974 of 15,651 cities and towns
Washington: #381 of 395 in WA
Population: 1,653 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 1,434.6 /mi²
FIPS code: 5307835

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 74 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety44#8,702/15,637
Economy17#12,935/15,631
Housing22#11,639/14,977
Health25#11,772/15,609
Healthcare26#11,536/15,650
Environment21#12,223/15,453
Education1#15,495/15,649
Infrastructure32#10,696/15,650
Community49#8,041/15,651
Leisure & amenities78#3,476/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Brewster, Washington ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Okanogan County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Grocery stores · high4.9 /10k
99/100Washington 1.8 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsOkanogan County value
Preventable hospital stays · low1,389 /100k
98/100Washington 1,865 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteOkanogan County value
Public libraries · high1.8 /10k
89/100Washington 0.5 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesOkanogan County value
Hot days · low4 days
89/100Washington 13 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationOkanogan County value
Violent crime rate · low103 /100k
85/100Washington 284 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2024Federal Bureau of InvestigationOkanogan County value
Social associations · high13.0 /10k
82/100Washington 8.2 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteOkanogan County value

Weaknesses

Bachelor's degree or higher · low4.9%
2/100Washington 39.6%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003High uncertainty
Drug overdose deaths · high48.0 /100k
2/100Washington 32.7 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataOkanogan County value
Flu vaccinations · low23.0%
2/100Washington 43.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteOkanogan County value
Child care cost burden · high42.5%
4/100Washington 36.6%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteOkanogan County value
Reading scores · low2.60
4/100Washington 2.98United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteOkanogan County value
Natural hazard risk · high95.5
5/100Washington 63.52025Federal Emergency Management AgencyOkanogan County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
2,367 (2015-2019) → 1,653 (2020-2024)
−30%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.7× (2015-2019) → 6.1× (2020-2024)
+129%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
64.3% (2015-2019) → 84.6% (2020-2024)
+20 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
New homes permittedWorsening
3.0 /1k (2021) → 0.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Bachelor's degree or higherWorsening
19.2% (2015-2019) → 4.9% (2020-2024)
−14 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Worsening
19.8% (2015-2019) → 27.3% (2020-2024)
+7.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Brewster, Washington improved on 1 of 11 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 9 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Broadband+20 points64.3% → 84.6%

Declined1

Price / income+3.4×2.7× → 6.1×

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of Brewster, Washington between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	13.3 min2015-2019	13.7 min2020-2024	+0.4 min	Within the margin of error	43%
Broadband subscriptions	64.3%2015-2019	84.6%2020-2024	+20 points	Improved	90%
Effective property tax rate	0.82%2015-2019	0.83%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	14%
High school diploma or higher	59.9%2015-2019	54.2%2020-2024	−5.8 points	Within the margin of error	4%
Home price to income ratio	2.7×2015-2019	6.1×2020-2024	+3.4×	Declined	1%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3642015-2019	0.3992020-2024	+0.035	Within the margin of error	23%
Median household income	$45,2882015-2019	$39,2412020-2024	−13%	Within the margin of error	2%
Poverty rate	19.1%2015-2019	24.6%2020-2024	+5.5 points	Within the margin of error	11%
Rent as share of income	35.3%2015-2019	33.7%2020-2024	−1.6 points	Within the margin of error	66%
Rent-burdened households	57.4%2015-2019	62.3%2020-2024	+4.9 points	Within the margin of error	38%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	19.8%2015-2019	27.3%2020-2024	+7.5 points	Within the margin of error	5%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Brewster, Washington five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Brewster, Washington in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Brewster, Washington itself moved −9.7 points in standing on average over the same 9 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,653 residents (±381)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 30–39 men (−9.0 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,653 residents (±381)

Brewster, Washington
Washington share

White18%†292
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino78%1,297

Education

925 residents (±198)

Brewster, Washington
Washington share

No high school diploma46%†424
High school or GED27%†254
Some college18%

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

617 households (±135)

Brewster, Washington
Washington share

Under $25k29%†177
$25k–50k31%†190
$50k–75k18%†112
$75k–100k7.3%†45
$100k–150k10%†64
$150k–200k4.7%†29
$200k or more0.0%0

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

617 households (±135)

Brewster, Washington
Washington share

Own45%†277
Rent55%†340

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

305 households (±106)

Brewster, Washington
Washington share

Under $75032%†98
$750–1,00017%†52
$1,000–1,50047%†

Home values

277 homes (±89)

Brewster, Washington
Washington share

Under $150k22%†61
$150k–250k31%†86
$250k–400k33%†91

Age of homes

711 homes (±137)

Brewster, Washington
Washington share

2010 or later8.2%†58
2000–20094.9%†35
1980–199926%†187

Size of homes

711 homes (±137)

Brewster, Washington
Washington share

Studio1.3%†9
1 bedroom19%†137
2 bedrooms33%†233

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

605 workers (±181)

Brewster, Washington
Washington share

Drive alone71%†427
Carpool12%†73
Public transit0.7%†4
Walk5.8%†35
Bike0.0%0
Work from home9.1%†55
Other1.8%†11

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

550 workers (±182)

Brewster, Washington
Washington share

Under 15 min57%†315
15–29 min24%†130
30–44 min19%†105

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Okanogan County, the county holding most of Brewster's residents.

Okanogan County has 1,202 employer establishments, 275 for every 10,000 residents (1.11× the US rate of 248; 1.07× Washington's), with 8,819 paid employees at an average annual pay of $47,840. The Census Bureau also counts 2,639 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,202; 2,639 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 275; US 248 · Washington 258
Paid employees: 8,819
Average annual pay: $47,840; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Okanogan County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	105	24	1.55×More than typical	319	$61,539	159
Construction of buildings	82	18.8	2.48×More than typical	279	$49,061	115
Ambulatory health care services	65	14.9	0.71×Fewer than typical	719	$66,896	128
Restaurants and other eating places	64	14.6	0.80×Fewer than typical	628	$24,836	12
Lessors of real estate	46	10.5	0.85×About typical	58	$36,431	265
Services to buildings and dwellings	44	10.1	1.49×More than typical	96	$39,031	142
Full-service restaurants	37	8.5	1.10×About typical	255	$27,529	—
Other specialty trade contractors	35	8	3.19×More than typical	118	$69,915	86
Religious organizations	35	8	1.44×More than typical	68	$19,603	—
Traveler accommodation	34	7.8	4.31×More than typical	497	$34,662	32
Building equipment contractors	31	7.1	1.18×About typical	118	$63,466	18
Automotive repair and maintenance	28	6.4	1.27×More than typical	88	$39,239	39

Rank places for an industry Open Okanogan County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 43,722 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Brewster is mostly in Okanogan County.

See federal money in Okanogan County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Brewster, Washington is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Dan NewhouseR-WA-4 · 100% of residentsWith party 95%Missed 2.4%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Okanogan County37100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Okanogan County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

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