Signals
Cheat Lake
West Richland
Opportunity
73 · Top 17%
vs71 · Top 21%
Climate
70 · Bottom 47%
vs63 · Bottom 29%
Physical resilience
50 · Bottom 43%
vs47 · Bottom 39%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 12%
vs92 · Top 28%
Access
70 · Bottom 13%
vs57 · Bottom 6%
Economic stability
73 · Top 22%
vs62 · Top 45%
Measured values
| Metric | Cheat Lake | West Richland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,902 | 17,586 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $117,014 | $119,892 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $67,787 | $45,272 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 760/sq mi | 795/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $367,600 | $448,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,124 | $1,590 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.2% | 83.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.3% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 61.8% | 39.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.5% | 8.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 84°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 28°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.2" | 7.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 48 mi | 62 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.6 min | 25.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.6 | 35.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.67 | 18.00 | 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
Cheat Lake
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
West Richland
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, heat wave, earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Cheat Lake
74
Your Score
—
Area Score
West Richland
69
Your Score
70
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Cheat Lake, WV · West Richland, WA · How this is calculated: methodology