Moving to
Cheney.

All Cheney data Compare Cheney

12,804people live here $54,503median household income▼ 32% below US $1,156median rent per month▼ 18% below US $395,900median home value▲ 19% above US

What it's like to live in Cheney

Cheney is a small city in Washington with rent below the national average and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Cheney deals with household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a population that has been shrinking, and larger class sizes than the national average.

The good

Rent below the national average
Short commutes

The not so good

Below-average household incomes
Air quality concerns
Shrinking population
High student-teacher ratio
High poverty rate
High rent burden for renters

How Cheney compares

Median household income

Cheney$54,503

Washington avg$98,141

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Cheney$1,156

Washington avg$1,760

US$1,413

Median home value

Cheney$395,900

Washington avg$564,600

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Cheney

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

To rent

$2,312

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

Income to keep rent under 30%: $46,240 a year
52% of Cheney renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$79,180

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $39,590
Homes cost 7.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▼ 18% below US

$1,156/mo median rent

Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,156 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices run above average, with a median around $395,900. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.

Median home value $395,900 · 52% 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▼ 15% below US

279 violent crimes per 100k

Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.

Property crime 1666/100k · Cheney Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▼ 18% below US

21 min average commute

Commutes are reasonable, averaging 21.4 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 8% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

72%

Walk

9.4%

Work from home

8.3%

Carpool

7.8%

Public transit

2.2%

Other

0.5%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 80°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 22°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 & workforceNear US average

38% bachelor's degree or higher

Education levels run about average, with 38% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.

Schools

7 public schools inside the boundary

There are 7 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (59 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Cheney's strongest points are rent below the national average and commutes that run shorter than most cities; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,156/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes.

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