Brewster, Washington

Brewster
City
City of Brewster
The outskirts of Brewster
Location of Brewster, Washington
Coordinates: 48°5′55″N119°46′54″W / 48.09861°N 119.78167°W / 48.09861; -119.78167
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Okanogan
Government
• Mayor	Art Smyth [1]
Area [2]
• Total	1.51 sq mi (3.90 km2)
• Land	1.15 sq mi (2.98 km2)
• Water	0.35 sq mi (0.92 km2)
Elevation	814 ft (248 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,983
• Density	1,300/sq mi (510/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	98812
Area code	509
FIPS code	53-07835
GNIS feature ID	1516938 [3]
Website	City of Brewster

Brewster is a city in Okanogan County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,983 at the 2020 census.

History

Brewster was founded in 1896. ^[4] A post office called Brewster has been in operation since 1898. ^[5] The city derives its name from John Bruster, a pioneer settler. ^[6]

Geography

Brewster is located on the confluence of the Okanogan and Columbia Rivers.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.19 square miles (3.08 km²), all of it land. ^[7] The 30–bed Three Rivers Hospital serves the city as the largest hospital in the county. The radio telescope located in Brewster is the northernmost of ten dishes comprising the Very Long Baseline Array.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1910	296		—
1920	394		33.1%
1930	413		4.8%
1940	447		8.2%
1950	851		90.4%
1960	940		10.5%
1970	1,059		12.7%
1980	1,337		26.3%
1990	1,633		22.1%
2000	2,189		34.0%
2010	2,370		8.3%
2020	1,983		−16.3%
U.S. Decennial Census [8] 2020 Census [9]

An aerial view of Brewster, adjacent to the Columbia River.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, ^[10] there were 2,370 people, 699 households, and 535 families living in the city. The population density was 1,991.6 inhabitants per square mile (769.0/km²). There were 730 housing units at an average density of 613.4 per square mile (236.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 50.8% White, 0.3% African American, 2.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 43.0% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 73.0% of the population.

There were 699 households, of which 54.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 8.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 23.5% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.31 and the average family size was 3.81.

The median age in the city was 27.6 years. 35.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.4% were from 25 to 44; 17.2% were from 45 to 64; and 10% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.4% male and 49.6% female. For population 25 years and older, 50.2% have a high school diploma or higher, 8.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher, and 3.4% have a graduate or professional degree.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 2,189 people, 662 households, and 485 families living in the city. The population density was 1,828.0 people per square mile (704.3/km²). There were 739 housing units at an average density of 617.1 per square mile (237.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 54.91% White, 0.37% African American, 2.28% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 38.78% from other races, and 3.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 59.5% of the population.

There were 662 households, out of which 49.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.23 and the average family size was 3.80.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 35.3% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 14.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $21,556, and the median income for a family was $22,381. Males had a median income of $15,652 versus $16,154 for females. The per capita income for the city was $9,555. About 29.1% of families and 31.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.0% of those under age 18 and 16.4% of those age 65 or over.

Climate

Climate data for Brewster, Washington
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	57 (14)	64 (18)	78 (26)	93 (34)	103 (39)	108 (42)	110 (43)	110 (43)	103 (39)	86 (30)	75 (24)	59 (15)	110 (43)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	35 (2)	42 (6)	55 (13)	65 (18)	74 (23)	81 (27)	90 (32)	90 (32)	80 (27)	63 (17)	45 (7)	34 (1)	63 (17)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	23 (−5)	26 (−3)	32 (0)	38 (3)	45 (7)	52 (11)	58 (14)	57 (14)	48 (9)	37 (3)	30 (−1)	22 (−6)	39 (4)
Record low °F (°C)	−19 (−28)	−19 (−28)	2 (−17)	19 (−7)	26 (−3)	33 (1)	35 (2)	35 (2)	29 (−2)	10 (−12)	−9 (−23)	−19 (−28)	−19 (−28)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	1.38 (35)	1.09 (28)	0.90 (23)	0.55 (14)	0.96 (24)	0.90 (23)	0.56 (14)	0.26 (6.6)	0.39 (9.9)	0.60 (15)	1.43 (36)	1.86 (47)	10.88 (275.5)
Source: [11]

References

1. "City Officials: Brewster". Municipal Research and Services Center . Retrieved February 16, 2022.
2. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
3. "Brewster". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
4. Meany, Edmond S. (1923). Origin of Washington geographic names. Seattle: University of Washington Press. p. 27.
5. "Okanogan County". Jim Forte Postal History. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
6. "Unusual names, odd spellings found in Washington". The Spokesman-Review. December 24, 1977. pp. A12. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
7. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 25, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
8. United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing" . Retrieved October 4, 2013.
9. "Census Bureau profile: Brewster, Washington". United States Census Bureau. May 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
10. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved December 19, 2012.
11. "weather.com" . Retrieved November 15, 2011.

External links

• City of Brewster – Official website
• Brewster Chamber of Commerce
• Media related to Brewster, Washington at Wikimedia Commons