Median Income
$45,419
household / year
Median Home Value
$291,900
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$1,020
gross / month
Cost of Living
101
national avg = 100

Is Cheney, WA a Good Place to Live?

Cheney is a small city of 12,848 in Washington, with a median household income of $45,419 and a 13.0% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 101 (US average = 100), which is 1% above the national average.

Strengths: Cheney stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B+), a well-educated population, short average commutes.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Cheney is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Cheney city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 101.0

Cheney's overall cost of living index is 101.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Cheney costs roughly 1% more than the average American city.

Metric Cheney, WA National Avg
Median Home Value $291,900 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $1,020 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 35.4% 65.9%
Median Household Income $45,419 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Safer than Average

Cheney's violent crime rate is 371.2 per 100,000 residents — 2% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
371.2 /100k
Property Crime
1670.3 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Cheney is served primarily by Cheney School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17.1:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).

Metric Cheney, WA National Avg
School District Cheney School District —
Elementary Schools 5 —
Middle Schools 2 —
High Schools 4 —
Student/Teacher Ratio 17.1:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 41.6% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 93.1% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Cheney sees average highs of 35.7°F in January and 84.1°F in July, with 18.3 inches of annual precipitation and 45.4 inches of snow per year.

MetricCheney, WA
Average High — January35.7°F
Average High — July84.1°F
Annual Precipitation18.3"
Annual Snowfall45.4"

Demographics

MetricCheney, WANational Avg
Population12,848—
Median Age23.838.9
Unemployment Rate13.0%3.7%
Avg Commute Time24.7 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)78.1%59.3%
Black or African American2.8%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino7.8%18.9%
Asian2.1%6.3%
Under 1814.2%22.2%
65 and over10.2%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Four Lakes, WA 5 mi Medical Lake, WA 7 mi Fairchild AFB, WA 9 mi Spangle, WA 10 mi Airway Heights, WA 11 mi

ZIP Codes in Cheney

Cheney, WA is covered by 1 ZIP code:

99004

Cheney vs Other Cities

Cheney, WA vs Four Lakes, WA Cheney, WA vs Medical Lake, WA Cheney, WA vs Fairchild AFB, WA Cheney, WA vs Spangle, WA Cheney, WA vs Airway Heights, WA

Frequently Asked Questions

Cheney's cost of living index is 101, where 100 is the national average. That puts Cheney roughly 1% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $291,900 and median rent is $1,020/month.
Cheney's violent crime rate is 371.2 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1670.3 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Public schools in Cheney are operated by Cheney School District. The district has 5 elementary, 2 middle, and 4 high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17.1:1. 41.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cheney, WA has a population of 12,848, a median household income of $45,419, and an unemployment rate of 13.0%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Cheney averages 35.7°F in January and 84.1°F in July. Annual rainfall is 18.3 inches with about 45.4 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Cheney, WA is covered by 1 ZIP code: 99004.
The population of Cheney, Washington is 12,848 with a median age of 23.8. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Cheney: cost of living index 101 (100 = US average), median home $291,900, median household income $45,419, crime index 90 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated B+. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Cheney side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.