Cheney and Airway Heights receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Cheney
Airway Heights
Opportunity
57 · Top 48%
vs54 · Bottom 45%
Growth
51 · Top 48%
vs49 · Bottom 48%
Climate
57 · Bottom 9%
vs66 · Bottom 38%
Physical resilience
88 · Top 13%
vs89 · Top 12%
Housing affordability
48 · Bottom 9%
vs55 · Bottom 15%
Access
95 · Top 40%
vs95 · Top 40%
Economic stability
44 · Bottom 23%
vs35 · Bottom 12%
Measured values
| Metric | Cheney | Airway Heights | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,804 | 11,245 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $54,503 | $62,874 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,586 | $29,126 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,949/sq mi | 1,871/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $395,900 | $348,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,156 | $1,389 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 34.7% | 28.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.0% | 17.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 31.3% | 19.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 37 | 39 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 3.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 68.2% | -36.1% | 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 | 9 mi | 3 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.9 min | 21.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 24.4 | 33.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 1 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.10 | 14.74 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 53.8% | 77.8% | 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
Cheney
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Airway Heights
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Cheney
63
Your Score
62
Area Score
Airway Heights
63
Your Score
64
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Cheney, WA · Airway Heights, WA · How this is calculated: methodology