The Spokane metro area: Spokane and Stevens counties · Population 597,123 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in the Spokane area
Household size in the Spokane area
| Period | Spokane area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.46 | 2.56 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.49 | 2.62 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.46 | 2.62 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.52 | 2.61 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | +0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in the Spokane area run a little small, averaging 2.52 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.46, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest in the south.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in the Spokane area
| Period | Spokane area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.1 | 38.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.1 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.8 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.4 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.2 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
At 40.4, the median age in the Spokane area is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 38.1, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the northwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in the Spokane area
| Period | Spokane area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.4% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.5% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.2% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in the Spokane area (10.2%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. The figure for Washington is much the same.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in the Spokane area
Renters in the Spokane area
| Period | Spokane area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.6% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.4% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.4% | 37.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 34.3% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in the Spokane area is about as common as it is nationally: 34.3% of households rent, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 37.4% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the southwest and least common in the northeast. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged up 0.6 points, as it has nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in the Spokane area
| Period | Spokane area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.1% | 8.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.3% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in the Spokane area: 7.3% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Washington comes in at about the same level. Vacancy has edged down 0.8 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in the Spokane area
| Period | Spokane area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1973 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1974 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1976 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in the Spokane area was built around 1979, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in Washington overall, where the median home dates to 1984. The median year built has moved up from 1973 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in the Spokane area
| Period | Spokane area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $795 | $1,018 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $881 | $1,127 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,006 | $1,390 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,413 | $1,875 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$617 | +$858 | +$606 |
The median renter in the Spokane area pays $1,413 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $617 a month since 2006–10, up 78%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 30.7% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the north; the most affordable are in the center.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in the Spokane area
Bachelor's degrees in the Spokane area
| Period | Spokane area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.7% | 31.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 28.3% | 32.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.1% | 35.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 32.2% | 38.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.5 pts | +7.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in the Spokane area than nationally: 32.2% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 4.5 points, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the south and least in the center.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in the Spokane area
| Period | Spokane area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.0% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 92.6% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.4% | 91.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.5% | 91.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | +2.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in the Spokane area: 94.5% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 2.5 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only four of the 100 large U.S. metro areas have a higher share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in the Spokane area
| Period | Spokane area | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.3% | 7.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.8% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.4%, unemployment in the Spokane area is the same as the national rate. Unemployment is down 2.9 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Largest cities in the Spokane area
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spokane area (all) | 2.52 | 40.4 | 10.2% | 34.3% | 7.3% | 1979 | $1,413 | 32.2% | 94.5% | 5.4% |
| Spokane Valley | 2.47 | 39.9 | 12.1% | 41.9% | 7.7% | 1976 | $1,448 | 25.8% | 94.3% | 5.0% |
| Cheney | 2.47 | 32.6 | 9.8% | 45.0% | 6.8% | 1992 | $1,279 | 36.0% | 95.3% | 11.3% |
| Greenacres | 2.76 | 39.3 | 12.4% | 28.1% | 6.6% | 2002 | $1,812 | 35.5% | 94.1% | 2.1% |
| Veradale | 2.77 | 38.6 | 9.1% | 37.0% | 3.3% | 1994 | $1,625 | 35.9% | 95.4% | 4.8% |
| Liberty Lake | 2.55 | 43.7 | 8.1% | 29.1% | 9.1% | 2002 | $1,875 | 50.2% | 97.4% | 2.9% |
| Airway Heights | 2.64 | 33.9 | 21.7% | 60.2% | 6.8% | 2008 | $1,339 | 18.4% | 90.1% | 11.8% |
| Deer Park | 2.76 | 40.5 | 7.8% | 21.5% | 6.6% | 1987 | $1,185 | 17.9% | 90.1% | 7.8% |
| Nine Mile Falls | 2.95 | 46.1 | 3.4% | 6.8% | 4.3% | 1993 | $1,477 | 30.2% | 96.6% | 3.2% |
| Colbert | 3.01 | 41.0 | 9.4% | 5.2% | 9.2% | 1996 | $1,455 | 36.2% | 98.0% | 2.7% |
| Mead | 2.80 | 43.2 | 10.7% | 9.1% | 9.0% | 1988 | $1,450 | 31.4% | 93.8% | 7.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Metro areas of similar size: Springfield area · Chattanooga area · Chapel Hill area · Harrisburg area · Toledo area · Melbourne area · Augusta area
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up the Spokane area. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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