The Town FilesBrookings, Oregon
City in Curry County · population 6,744 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $446,700
- Household income
- $74,933
- Jan low / Jul high
- 44° / 67°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 50.6
Brookings is a city of 6,744 people in Curry County, Oregon. The median home is worth $446,700, above the typical Oregon town ($394,200). It ranks more seaside character than 94% of Oregon towns.
How Brookings ranks
Percentile among Oregon towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Oregon towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Brookings is worth $446,700, above the typical Oregon town ($394,200). Homes cost about 6.0 times the median household income of $74,933, which is more affordable than 28% of Oregon towns. Median rent is $1,415 a month. 59.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Brookings | Typical Oregon town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $446,700 | $394,200 |
| Median rent | $1,415 | $1,312 |
| Median household income | $74,933 | $76,221 |
| Home value ÷ income | 6.0× | 5.1× |
| Homeownership | 59.8% | 71.1% |
| Median year built | 1988 | 1981 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 9.4% | — |
Who lives in Brookings
| People | Brookings | Typical Oregon town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 50.6 | 41.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 26.5% | 20.1% |
| Under 18 | 17.5% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.4% | 23.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 16.9% | 10.8% |
| Veterans | 9.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 5.8% | — |
| Work from home | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| Average commute | 14.7 min | 23.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 93.5% | 92.4% |
Weather in Brookings
July highs average 66.6°F and January lows 43.6°F. About 77.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Oregon town: 3.1 in). Expect about 1 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 5 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Brookings since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Oregon town. The strongest, an F0, struck on November 9, 2002 about 1.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on November 9, 2002.
Severe weather in Curry County since 1996
Curry County has been included in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, tsunami.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| July 22, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4881: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 28, 2020 | Biological | DR-4499: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3429: Covid-19 |
| July 9, 2019 | Flood | DR-4452: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| May 2, 2019 | Severe Storm | DR-4432: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Curry County
Curry County had 6,553 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $49,537 a year. Unemployment was 4.6% in 2023; in Brookings itself the ACS puts it at 3.3%.
Public schools in Brookings
3 public schools with 1,335 students, about 19.3 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalmiopsis Elementary School | K-5 | 545 | 17.0 |
| Brookings-Harbor High School | 9-12 | 445 | 22.3 |
| Azalea Middle School | 6-8 | 345 | 20.3 |
Towns near Brookings
- Harbor, OR3.7 mi · 2,551 people · home $316,600
- Crescent City, CA21.9 mi · 6,673 people · home $306,500
- Bertsch-Oceanview, CA23.2 mi · 2,520 people · home $191,300
Brookings questions
Is Brookings, Oregon a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Brookings scores better for retirees than 64% of Oregon towns and quieter than 59%. 26.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 50.6).
How much does a house cost in Brookings?
The median owner-occupied home in Brookings is valued at $446,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $74,933, so homes cost about 6.0 times income. Median rent is $1,415 a month.
What is the weather like in Brookings?
July highs average 66.6°F and January lows 43.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 77.6 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Brookings get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Brookings since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on November 9, 2002. The typical Oregon town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)