Spokane Valley receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Cheney
Spokane Valley
Opportunity
57 · Top 48%
vs59 · Top 44%
Growth
51 · Top 48%
vs50 · Bottom 49%
Climate
57 · Bottom 9%
vs67 · Bottom 38%
Physical resilience
88 · Top 13%
vs89 · Top 12%
Housing affordability
48 · Bottom 9%
vs68 · Bottom 30%
Access
95 · Top 40%
vs88 · Bottom 35%
Economic stability
44 · Bottom 23%
vs55 · Bottom 40%
Measured values
| Metric | Cheney | Spokane Valley | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,804 | 106,365 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $54,503 | $74,042 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,586 | $36,791 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,949/sq mi | 2,820/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $395,900 | $382,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,156 | $1,353 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 34.7% | 58.2% | 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 | 38.0% | 26.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 31.3% | 12.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 37 | 550 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 5.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 68.2% | -43.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 18.3" | 17.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 9 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.9 min | 22.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 24.4 | 38.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 47 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.10 | 17.68 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 53.8% | 51.7% | 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.
Spokane Valley
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
Spokane Valley
68
Your Score
68
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Cheney, WA · Spokane Valley, WA · How this is calculated: methodology