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Airway Heights.

All Airway Heights data Compare Airway Heights

11,245people live here $62,874median household income▼ 22% below US $1,389median rent per monthNear US average $348,500median home valueNear US average

What it's like to live in Airway Heights

Airway Heights is a small city in Washington with commutes that run shorter than most cities, a growing population, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Airway Heights deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and college degree attainment below the national average.

The good

Short commutes
Growing population
Average class sizes

The not so good

Below-average household incomes
Crime above national average
Air quality concerns
Low college degree attainment
High poverty rate
High rent burden for renters

How Airway Heights compares

Median household income

Airway Heights$62,874

Washington avg$98,141

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Airway Heights$1,389

Washington avg$1,760

US$1,413

Median home value

Airway Heights$348,500

Washington avg$564,600

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Airway Heights

Based on Airway Heights's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$2,778

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $55,560 a year
57% of Airway Heights renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$69,700

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $34,850
Homes cost 5.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingNear US average

$1,389/mo median rent

Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,389 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $348,500. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.

Median home value $348,500 · 57% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

4.3% county unemployment

Unemployment in Spokane County is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Spokane County (county-wide)

Safety▲ 26% above US

416 violent crimes per 100k

Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.

Property crime 3254/100k · Airway Heights Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▼ 14% below US

22 min average commute

Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.4 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

77%

Carpool

10%

Work from home

9.0%

Walk

2.5%

Public transit

1.6%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 25°F and snow a regular occurrence. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▼ 53% below US

17% bachelor's degree or higher

This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.

Schools

1 public school inside the boundary

There is 1 public school inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (51 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Airway Heights's strongest points are commutes that run shorter than most cities and a growing population; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,389/mo) equals 27% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.

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