Moving to Spokane, Washington can look like a slam dunk on paper. It is a big little city with remarkable outdoor access, recognizable neighborhoods, a lower cost of living than North Idaho, plenty of restaurants and events, and a whole lot more personality than people expect. Spokane has earned nicknames ranging from Spoklahoma to Spokanistan to Spokompton , and honestly, that tells us something. This place has character.

We spent our childhood weekends around Spokane on a working farm, then lived and worked in Spokane in our twenties. We have run the streets, worked in local homes, met business owners, attended the big events, and seen the parts of the city most relocation guides leave out. We still love a lot about Spokane. But there is one major reason we chose not to live there anymore, and it is worth considering seriously before moving to Spokane, Washington.

Table of Contents

• Why Moving to Spokane, Washington Is So Appealing
• The Daily Frustrations: Traffic, Roads, and Construction
• Taxes and Everyday Costs
• The Dispensary Presence
• What We Still Love About Spokane
• Cost of Living in Spokane (Then Versus Now)
• Crime Is a Serious Factor
• Homelessness, Substance Use, and Enforcement
• The Real Reason We Would Not Move Back
• Who Spokane Still Works For

Why Moving to Spokane, Washington Is So Appealing

Spokane remains an attractive option because it gives us a city experience without the scale, congestion, and price tag of Seattle, Portland, or Los Angeles. It is not a tiny town. There are hospitals, employers, local businesses, shopping, restaurants, concerts, comedy shows, parks, and annual events. But it can still feel manageable, especially once we get outside the central core.

The Spokane River, waterfalls, bridges, parks, trails, and surrounding forests give the city a visual identity that is hard to duplicate. There are plenty of places where we can have a neighborhood lifestyle while still being within reach of city amenities.

For families, outdoorsy people, and anyone tired of coastal metro costs, moving to Spokane, Washington can be a legitimate lifestyle upgrade. Several areas outside downtown are far enough from the city core to feel calmer and more family oriented, while still allowing access to restaurants, jobs, entertainment, and recreation.

Still, it is important not to confuse “more affordable than Seattle” with “cheap.” Spokane has changed dramatically over the past 15 years. The days of finding an ordinary rental for $500 per month are long gone.

The Daily Frustrations: Traffic, Roads, and Construction

One of the first things we notice when coming into Spokane is the driving experience. The population is nowhere near Seattle or Portland, but the city can feel packed into a smaller footprint. A trip of only a few miles can take 20 minutes or more depending on the route, time of day, construction, and traffic flow.

Traffic alone is manageable. The bigger irritation is that it often does not feel like a smooth drive. Road conditions and potholes are a recurring complaint. We can spend a lot of time dodging rough pavement, road work, lane changes, and construction zones. If we drive regularly for work or commute across town, that adds up quickly.

Construction is seemingly everywhere, yet many locals feel the roads never truly catch up. That may sound like a minor issue when we are considering moving to Spokane, Washington, but everyday friction matters. A frustrating commute changes how we feel about a city after the newness wears off.

Taxes and Everyday Costs

Taxes are another part of the Spokane equation that deserves more scrutiny than a simple housing-price comparison. The tax figures presented for Spokane included a 9.1% income tax figure, a median property tax rate of 0.9%, a 55-cent per-gallon gas tax, and a 21.5% utility tax, along with concern about a proposed 9.9% tax targeting high earners.

Regardless of the exact taxes that apply to our situation, the practical point is simple: we need to calculate the entire monthly picture. Housing is only one number. Utility bills, gas, vehicle maintenance, sales taxes, property taxes, commuting costs, and household income all affect whether Spokane feels affordable.

Before moving to Spokane, Washington, we should compare:

• Expected rent or mortgage payment
• Utilities and seasonal heating costs
• Property taxes, insurance, and maintenance
• Gas and vehicle expenses for our commute
• Our current income versus realistic local earning potential
• State and local taxes relevant to our household

Spokane may still make financial sense, particularly compared with North Idaho or a larger coastal metro. We just should not make the decision based on a listing price alone.

The Dispensary Presence

Another thing that stands out around Spokane is the visibility of marijuana dispensaries. Cannabis stores are legal in many places now, so this is not necessarily shocking. But Spokane has more than 30 dispensaries, and they are not exactly hiding in the background.

Whether that matters depends entirely on our preferences. Some people will not care at all. Others may see it as a sign of a broader cultural environment they do not want around their neighborhood or family. It is not the reason we left, but it is part of the honest picture when moving to Spokane, Washington.

What We Still Love About Spokane

Now for the part that gets lost when people only focus on problems: Spokane gave us some incredible memories.

Growing up around the area meant hay fields, goats, ponds, feeding animals, bucking hay, and building tree forts with the kind of questionable confidence only kids can have. We learned that food does not magically appear on a grocery shelf. Someone grows it, feeds animals, repairs equipment, works through weather, and gets dirty doing it.

Later, working as a telecommunications technician gave us a different perspective. It is a fancy way of saying we were a cable guy, but it was a great job. We met hundreds of people across the community, including local business owners, familiar media personalities, and people who had done truly interesting things with their lives.

The overwhelming impression was that Spokane people are kind, friendly, and invested in their community. That is still one of the city’s best qualities. We can criticize leadership, policy, roads, and crime without pretending the people themselves are the problem.

Parks, Trails, and Community Events

Spokane has invested in parks, green space, and outdoor recreation. Hiking trails and wooded paths are close enough to the city that we do not have to plan an entire weekend around getting outside.

The city also knows how to bring people together. Bloomsday, Hoopfest, and Pig Out in the Park are major local traditions. Pig Out in the Park is basically an opportunity for everyone to find out how much greasy food they can eat before regretting it, but it is also a real community gathering.

These events matter because they show the version of Spokane that keeps people attached to it. Thousands of people gathering for food, sports, races, and community events is a beautiful thing. Moving to Spokane, Washington can offer that kind of local connection, especially for people who want more than a place to sleep between workdays.

Cost of Living in Spokane (Then Versus Now)

When we first lived in Spokane, it was remarkably affordable. Our first rental was $500 a month, and we could make more money there than we could in Idaho at the time. That combination was hard to beat.

Those were different days. Housing costs have risen significantly, and nobody should expect a repeat of that old rent number. Even so, Spokane is still generally more affordable than North Idaho. That relative affordability is one of the strongest arguments for moving to Spokane, Washington, especially for people priced out of Coeur d’Alene or other North Idaho communities.

The city also continues to have good restaurants, live music, concerts, and comedy. We can enjoy a more active social scene than many smaller nearby communities offer without paying full coastal-city prices.

Crime Is a Serious Factor

Crime is not the one reason we left Spokane, but it is a major factor for anyone moving to Spokane, Washington. The crime figures presented were stark: overall crime above 5,500 incidents per 100,000 residents, roughly 160% above the national average. Violent crime was cited at 675 incidents per 100,000 residents compared with 359 nationally, while property crime was cited at roughly 4,800 incidents per 100,000 residents compared with 1,700 nationally.

Those are not numbers we should casually brush aside. Property crime affects daily life through vehicle break-ins, theft, and the general precautions we take at home, at work, and in public. Violent crime creates a different level of concern, especially for families evaluating neighborhoods.

Studies referenced in the discussion have connected Spokane’s crime challenges in part to people relocating after release from prison because Spokane is less expensive than Seattle. Whether we agree with every conclusion or not, the point remains that crime is a serious local issue rather than an abstract statistic.

We should research specific neighborhoods, drive the routes we would use every day, and pay attention to the immediate surroundings of any property. Spokane is not one uniform experience. The street, neighborhood, and distance from downtown can make a major difference.

Homelessness, Substance Use, and Enforcement

Homelessness and visible substance use have also affected the city. Recent counts may show homelessness declining, but visibility still matters to residents and small businesses. We can see the impact in certain corridors and downtown areas, where public disorder can change how comfortable people feel using sidewalks, parks, and storefronts.

One concern is the policy approach that reduced enforcement around open drug use and low-level theft. The argument here is not that people in crisis do not deserve help. They do. The issue is whether a city can protect public safety, support businesses, maintain public spaces, and still provide meaningful assistance.

Spokane appears to be seeing some improvement as laws are enforced more consistently again, but this remains part of the equation when moving to Spokane, Washington. We should ask what conditions are like now, not just rely on an old reputation or a glossy relocation brochure.

The Real Reason We Would Not Move Back

The biggest reason we would not move back is what we see as the ruinous empathy of elected officials. Spokane has people with huge hearts. That is not an insult. The concern is that compassion without accountability can produce policies that hurt the larger community.

We believe public leadership has to protect the safety and well-being of the many while helping people who cannot help themselves. Putting every burden on taxpayers, small businesses, families, and neighborhoods does not automatically make a policy compassionate. A city needs consequences for crime, workable standards for public spaces, and leaders who measure outcomes instead of celebrating intentions.

That is a political perspective, and people moving to Spokane, Washington may see it differently. But it is the reason we personally would not put down roots there again. We love the city’s potential. We love many of its people and places. We simply do not have confidence that the political direction will change enough to address the problems at their source.

Who Spokane Still Works For

Even with all of those concerns, Spokane can still be the right move for the right person. Compared with places carrying crushing costs and more extreme problems, Spokane offers an attractive middle ground. If we are coming from Seattle, Portland, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, Detroit, or another large metro, Spokane may feel dramatically more livable and affordable.

Moving to Spokane, Washington may work especially well if we:

• Want a more affordable alternative to North Idaho or a coastal metro
• Value parks, trails, river access, and outdoor recreation
• Prefer a regional city with events, restaurants, and entertainment
• Can choose a neighborhood outside the most troubled downtown areas
• Are comfortable evaluating crime, commute routes, and local taxes carefully
• Want access to Spokane amenities without needing to live in the urban core

The best approach is not to ask whether Spokane is good or bad. That question is too simple. We should ask whether its trade-offs work for our lifestyle, budget, politics, commute, family needs, and tolerance for city problems.

Spokane is still a city with massive potential. It has beauty, community, outdoor access, and affordability relative to many nearby markets. It also has real challenges that deserve clear-eyed consideration. Moving to Spokane, Washington can be a great decision, but only when we choose the location and lifestyle with both eyes open.