Caldwell vs Spokane
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $363,500 in Spokane and $367,300 in Caldwell.
- Caldwell has the warmer winter: January highs of 40°F vs 35°F.
- Spokane gets far more snow: 45 inches a year vs 10.
- Caldwell has more scorching days: 59 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 21.
- Caldwell is growing faster: +27.4% since 2020 vs +0.8%.
- Commutes are shorter in Spokane (21 vs 25 minutes each way).
- Washington has no state income tax on wages; Idaho's top rate is 5.3%.
Side by side
| Caldwell, ID | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 76,629 | 230,783 |
| Growth since 2020 | +27.4% | +0.8% |
| People per square mile | 3,049 | 3,356 |
| Median age | 31.5 | 37.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20% | 34% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $73,058 | $70,064 |
| Median home value | $367,300 | $363,500 |
| Home value to income | 5.0× | 5.2× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,264 | $1,215 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 98.4 | 100.3 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 105.6 | 97.1 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $73,800 | $75,300 |
| Homeowners | 73% | 59% |
| Top state income tax | 5.3% | None |
| Combined sales tax | 6.03% | 9.57% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 24.6 | 20.6 |
| Work from home | 12% | 15% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 3% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5% | 5.7% |
| Poverty rate | 11.9% | 13.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 40° / 23° | 35° / 25° |
| July high / low | 93° / 57° | 84° / 58° |
| Precipitation per year | 11 in | 16 in |
| Snowfall per year | 10 in | 45 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 59 | 21 |
| Nights below freezing | 132 | 132 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Low | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 71.7 | 90.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 50% | 56% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.7% | +0% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +25.7% | +29.1% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Caldwell: May to June and September. Spokane: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Caldwell weather by month and Spokane weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $73,800 in Caldwell and $75,300 in Spokane. Moving from Caldwell to Spokane, you would need about $76,500 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Caldwell and Spokane
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Caldwell and Spokane.
Which would you pick?
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