Spokane 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
Opportunity: Spokane is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
57 · Top 48%
vs59 · Top 45%
Growth: Cheney is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
51 · Top 48%
vs49 · Bottom 47%
Climate: Spokane is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
57 · Bottom 9%
vs67 · Bottom 38%
Physical resilience: Spokane is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
88 · Top 13%
vs89 · Top 12%
Housing affordability: Spokane is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
48 · Bottom 9%
vs70 · Bottom 33%
Access
95 · Top 40%
vs95 · Top 40%
Economic stability: Spokane is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
44 · Bottom 23%
vs54 · Bottom 38%
Measured values
| Metric | Cheney | Spokane | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,804 | 230,293 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $54,503 | $70,064 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,586 | $40,080 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,949/sq mi | 3,349/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $395,900 | $363,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,156 | $1,215 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 34.7% | 58.8% | 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% | 33.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 31.3% | 13.8% | 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 | 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 | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.9 min | 22.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 24.4 | 37.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 81 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.66 | 15.68 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 53.8% | 57.1% | 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
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Full profiles: Cheney, WA · Spokane, WA · How this is calculated: methodology