Signals
West Richland
Cheat Lake
Opportunity
71 · Top 21%
vs73 · Top 17%
Climate
63 · Bottom 29%
vs70 · Bottom 47%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 39%
vs50 · Bottom 43%
Housing affordability
92 · Top 28%
vs98 · Top 12%
Access
57 · Bottom 6%
vs70 · Bottom 13%
Economic stability
62 · Top 45%
vs73 · Top 22%
Measured values
| Metric | West Richland | Cheat Lake | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,586 | 10,902 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $119,892 | $117,014 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $45,272 | $67,787 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 795/sq mi | 760/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $448,300 | $367,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,590 | $1,124 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.4% | 83.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | 1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.4% | 61.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.5% | 6.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 93°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 28°F | 24°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 7.6" | 43.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 62 mi | 48 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.9 min | 25.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.5 | 40.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.00 | 15.67 | 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
West Richland
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, heat wave, earthquake.
Cheat Lake
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Your best match
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West Richland
69
Your Score
70
Area Score
Cheat Lake
74
Your Score
—
Area Score
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Full profiles: West Richland, WA · Cheat Lake, WV · How this is calculated: methodology