99224 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
99004
99224
Opportunity
61 · Top 38%
vs63 · Top 32%
Growth
50 · Top 50%
vs47 · Bottom 45%
Climate
57 · Bottom 8%
vs66 · Bottom 39%
Physical resilience
88 · Top 12%
vs89 · Top 11%
Housing affordability
64 · Bottom 27%
vs68 · Bottom 33%
Access
92 · Bottom 47%
vs95 · Top 43%
Economic stability
46 · Bottom 27%
vs59 · Bottom 49%
Measured values
| Metric | 99004 | 99224 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,871 | 24,919 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $67,337 | $80,770 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,190 | $46,936 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 68/sq mi | 210/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $420,500 | $461,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,172 | $1,379 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 57.8% | 64.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.7% | 40.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.8% | 10.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 37 | 927 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 4.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 68.2% | -10.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 25°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 18.3" | 16.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 2 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.9 min | 22.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.0 | 40.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.10 | 16.43 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 53.8% | 51.6% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
99004
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
99224
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Full profiles: 99004 — Cheney, WA · 99224 — Spokane, WA · How this is calculated: methodology