The Town FilesOkanogan, Washington
City in Okanogan County · population 2,379 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $248,400
- Household income
- $68,611
- Jan low / Jul high
- 23° / 89°
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 43.0
Okanogan is a city of 2,379 people in Okanogan County, Washington. The median home is worth $248,400, below the typical Washington town ($475,000). It ranks better transit than 92% of Washington towns, better for retirees than 77% of Washington towns.
How Okanogan ranks
Percentile among Washington towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Washington towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Okanogan is worth $248,400, below the typical Washington town ($475,000). Homes cost about 3.6 times the median household income of $68,611, which is more affordable than 94% of Washington towns. Median rent is $1,054 a month. 59.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Okanogan | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $248,400 | $475,000 |
| Median rent | $1,054 | $1,597 |
| Median household income | $68,611 | $90,625 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.6× | 5.3× |
| Homeownership | 59.7% | 74.4% |
| Median year built | 1969 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.4% | — |
Who lives in Okanogan
| People | Okanogan | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.0 | 40.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 21.9% | 17.9% |
| Under 18 | 26.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.9% | 27.6% |
| Below the poverty line | 10.3% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 10.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 3.9% | — |
| Work from home | 3.0% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 20.4 min | 27.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 86.9% | 93.9% |
Weather in Okanogan
July highs average 89.4°F and January lows 23.3°F. About 11.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year. Expect about 42 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 145 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Okanogan since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Washington town. The strongest, an F1, struck on May 3, 1982 about 5.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 26, 1997.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 2 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on September 13, 2022.
Severe weather in Okanogan County since 1996
Okanogan County has been included in 42 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, biological.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| August 3, 2026 | Fire | EM-3650: Wildfires |
| August 1, 2026 | Fire | FM-5657: Sinlahekin Fire |
| July 17, 2026 | Fire | FM-5646: Kaiser Canyon Fire |
| July 24, 2024 | Fire | FM-5518: Swawilla Fire |
| April 28, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4775: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Okanogan County
Okanogan County had 17,034 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $48,554 a year. Unemployment was 5.5% in 2023; in Okanogan itself the ACS puts it at 6.5%.
Public schools in Okanogan
6 public schools with 1,086 students, about 17.5 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grainger Elementary | K-5 | 437 | 15.6 |
| Okanogan High School | 9-12 | 305 | 17.9 |
| Okanogan Middle School | 6-8 | 248 | 16.5 |
| Okanogan Outreach Alternative School | 6-12 | 78 | 39.0 |
| Okanogan Alternative High School | 9-12 | 13 | — |
| Okanogan Co Juvenile Detention | 8-12 | 5 | — |
Towns near Okanogan
- Omak, WA4.4 mi · 4,860 people · home $248,900
- North Omak, WA8.1 mi · 651 people · home $428,600
- Brewster, WA20.0 mi · 1,983 people · home $239,600
- Tonasket, WA24.3 mi · 1,103 people · home $210,600
- Twisp, WA24.7 mi · 992 people · home $348,500
- Bridgeport, WA25.3 mi · 2,141 people · home $177,000
- Pateros, WA26.3 mi · 593 people · home $278,800
- Winthrop, WA28.5 mi · 504 people · home $475,000
Okanogan questions
Is Okanogan, Washington a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Okanogan scores better for retirees than 77% of Washington towns and quieter than 54%. 21.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.0).
How much does a house cost in Okanogan?
The median owner-occupied home in Okanogan is valued at $248,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $68,611, so homes cost about 3.6 times income. Median rent is $1,054 a month.
What is the weather like in Okanogan?
July highs average 89.4°F and January lows 23.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 11.6 inches of precipitation a year.
Does Okanogan get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Okanogan since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on May 3, 1982. The typical Washington town has had 1.
- 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)