Liberty Lake receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Liberty Lake
Cheney
Opportunity
70 · Top 22%
vs57 · Top 48%
Growth
56 · Top 40%
vs51 · Top 48%
Climate
67 · Bottom 38%
vs57 · Bottom 9%
Physical resilience
89 · Top 12%
vs88 · Top 13%
Housing affordability
76 · Bottom 43%
vs48 · Bottom 9%
Access
84 · Bottom 28%
vs95 · Top 40%
Economic stability
71 · Top 27%
vs44 · Bottom 23%
Measured values
| Metric | Liberty Lake | Cheney | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,737 | 12,804 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $118,723 | $54,503 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $54,275 | $28,586 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,008/sq mi | 2,949/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $577,500 | $395,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,895 | $1,156 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.0% | 34.7% | 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 | 48.7% | 38.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.0% | 31.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 125 | 37 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.8 | 2.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -73.4% | 68.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 17.4" | 18.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 20 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.0 min | 22.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.1 | 24.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.94 | 18.10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 31.4% | 53.8% | 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
Liberty Lake
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire.
Cheney
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.
Liberty Lake
73
Your Score
73
Area Score
Cheney
63
Your Score
62
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Liberty Lake, WA · Cheney, WA · How this is calculated: methodology