CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

47.79° N · 122.27° W · GEOID 5307940

Brier

Snohomish County, Washington · part of the Seattle, WA metro

WashingtonBrier, WABrierBrier

The short answer

Brier is home to 6,545 people. Median household income is $132,045 a year and median rent is $2,318 a month, 21.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $866,600, about 6.6x annual median household income.

Brier is defined by its growth. Household income growth is 0.1% a year, against 5.1% a year in its closest peers. Also notable: Home values rose 10.5% a year between the 2019 and 2024 surveys while incomes rose 0.1%, a wider gap than in 95% of places its size.

41OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Below average

Brier scores better than 41% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 102nd of 190 in Washington.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%27
Economy 20%74
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%44
Education 10%80
Commute 10%17
Growth 5%13

Not rated: safety, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$2,318
70% above the median place
Median household income
$132,045
64% above the median place
Median home value
$866,600
171% above the median place
Unemployment
4.5%
9% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

01

Moving to Brier

Snohomish County gains about 1.1 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in38,472
Moved out37,688
Net+784

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Washington, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within WashingtonOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$100K
Leavers$95K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Snohomish County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
4.7% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.8% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Snohomish County report $99,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $94,600, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$92,700 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,318 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,830 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $866,600.
Getting to work
31 minutes each way on average; 29.6% work from home; 2.9% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Felida, WA matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
4.7%
18% below the median place
Income of households moving out7
$94,622
35% above the median place
Income of households moving in7
$99,568
41% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureBrierAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year14.7%18% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.8%11% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure1.1above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$99,56841% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$94,62235% above
02

What it costs to live here

High pay has not made renting easy. Household income is higher than in 87% of places we track, yet 69% of renters still spend 30% or more of income on rent.

Brier21.1%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$92,720
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
21.1%
3% above the median place
Home price to income
6.6x
73% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
21%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$101,200
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Brier, $2,318 a month, and local prices for everything else (102.9 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Brier, but easier on the budget

Places that match Brier on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Felida, WA9017.6% vs 21.1%$33,000Compare
West Linn, OR8617.3% vs 21.1%$18,200Compare
Bull Mountain, OR8214.0% vs 21.1%$39,000Compare
El Granada, CA8211.4% vs 21.1%$88,800Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Brier.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Brier? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
68.5%
35% above the median place
Median home value1
$866,600
171% above the median place
Homeownership1
89.8%
35% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureBrierAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$2,31870% above
Rent to income121.1%3% above
Property tax rate10.8%18% below
Home price to income16.6x73% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure111.110% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,54958% above
Property tax paid (median)1$6,46598% above
Median home value1$866,600171% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure1.3%58% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure50.8%1% below
Homeownership189.8%35% above
Renters paying 30%+168.5%35% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,83051% above
Vacant homes1County figure4.6%35% below
Median year built119860% above
03

Work and pay

30% of workers mostly work from home, more than in 92% of the 2,104 places under 10,000 people we track.

Works from home1
29.6%
138% above the median place
Median household income1
$132,045
64% above the median place
Income per person1
$58,825
47% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Mean commute31 min +26%
Commutes by transit2.9% 3.4×
Poverty rate6.7% −38%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureBrierAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$132,04564% above
Income per person1$58,82547% above
Unemployment1County figure4.5%9% below
Average annual pay5County figure$84,35028% above
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure5.5%49% above
Jobs5County figure299,06298% above
Poverty rate16.7%38% below
Mean commute131 min26% above
Works from home129.6%138% above
Commutes by transit12.9%235% above
04

Who lives here

Homes with broadband is 99.0%, 7% above the median place.

Homes with broadband1
99.0%
7% above the median place
No health insurance1
2.5%
61% below the median place
Median age1
47.4
22% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher50.6% +58%
Household size2.8 +10%
High school or higher94.7% +3%
Born abroad13.1% +49%
All 9 people measures
MeasureBrierAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population16,5455629th largest
Population change since 202060.8%34% below
Median age147.422% above
Bachelor's or higher150.6%58% above
High school or higher194.7%3% above
Household size12.810% above
Born abroad113.1%49% above
No health insurance12.5%61% below
Homes with broadband199.0%7% above
05

Life in Brier

Public schools here have 20 students per teacher, more than in 92% of the 1,648 places under 10,000 people we track.

51 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents21.4 2.1×
Playgrounds per 10k29.0 3.1×
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k3.1 −73%
Libraries per 10k3.1 3.5×
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi3.2 15.2×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve 35 miles
  • San Juan Island National Historical Park 58 miles
  • Olympic National Park 69 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars20.0 −4%
Shops25.1 −17%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.0 −27%
Doctors' offices and clinics16.8 −17%
Child care centers2.7 +17%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools12
2
78% below the median place
Public school students12
1,038
79% below the median place
Students per teacher12
20.0
30% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureBrierAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12278% below
Public school students121,03879% below
Students per teacher1220.030% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure20.04% below
Shops per 10k8County figure25.117% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure3.027% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure16.817% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.717% above
Parks per 10k921.4110% above
Playgrounds per 10k929.0209% above
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k93.173% below
Libraries per 10k93.1252% above
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi93.2above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1035.014% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1020% above
National Register listings11County figure51292% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

July average high is 71°F, 18% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Brier. Larger places are fetched first.

July average high13
71°F
18% below the median place
Annual precipitation13
85.1 in
94% above the median place
Average temperature13
47°F
15% below the median place
All 10 weather and risk measures
MeasureBrierAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure71°F18% below
January average low13County figure31°F21% above
Average temperature13County figure47°F15% below
Annual precipitation13County figure85.1 in94% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure97.96% above
Tornado risk14County figure38.852% below
Wildfire risk14County figure61.50% above
Heat wave risk14County figure97.08% above
Median air quality index15County figure415% below
Good air days15County figure67.9%1% below
08

Brier in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 22% of the median income in 2030, up from 21% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Brier does better than 25% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 72%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$2,318/mo (2024)$2,970/mo$2,440 to $3,620/mo+4.2%
Median household income$132,045 (2024)$164,000$139,000 to $194,500+3.7%
Median home value$866,600 (2024)$1,263,000$917,000 to $1,739,000+6.5%
Population6,597 (2025)6,6706,400 to 6,950+0.2%

The median home would be worth 7.7 years of the median income in 2030, against 6.6 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Brier

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Southold, NY$2,237$128,822Compare
Gig Harbor, WA$2,301$118,395Compare
Ben Lomond, CA$2,514$130,041Compare
Benicia, CA$2,280$121,204Compare
Benicia, CABen Lomond, CAGig Harbor, WASouthold, NYBrier, WABrierSoutholdGig HarborBen LomondBrierSoutholdGig HarborBen Lomond

Places built like Brier

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Brier performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Brier, WA21.1%0.1%/yr0.8%
Maltby, WA14.0%8.2%/yrn/aCompare
Maplewood, WA17.7%5.2%/yrn/aCompare
Felida, WA17.6%5.1%/yrn/aCompare
Hobart, WA20.4%8.3%/yrn/aCompare
Hockinson, WA19.0%-0.0%/yrn/aCompare
Westlake Village, CA23.3%5.0%/yr-6.5%Compare

Common questions

Is Brier a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 41 out of 100, better than 41% of the places we rate and 102nd of 190 in Washington. On cost, space and class size it scores 55 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Brier expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 21.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $866,600.

What salary do you need to live in Brier?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $92,720 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Brier?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Southold, NY, Gig Harbor, WA, Ben Lomond, CA and Benicia, CA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Brier with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Brier itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/brier-washington

Citytistics. “Brier, Washington.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/brier-washington/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.