Spokane, WA

Spokane County's median value of an owner-occupied home was $370,500 in the 2019-2023 ACS, while Spokane city's median value was $370,500 and Spokane Valley's was $344,300 (Census QuickFacts, Spokane County^[1]). Washington has no state personal income tax, but Spokane city sales tax was 9.1% combined in the Washington Department of Revenue rate table, and Spokane County also shows combined rates in the 8.8% to 9.1% range depending on location (WA DOR local sales tax table^[2], Spokane County sales tax rates PDF^[3]). Spokane County's median household income was $73,513, and the county had 17.8% of residents age 65 and over, which supports a sizable retiree base (Census QuickFacts, Spokane County^[1]).

Spokane County's healthcare base includes major hospitals in the Spokane and Spokane Valley area, and the county's Census profile shows a large enough population to support specialist access and routine senior care needs (Census QuickFacts, Spokane County^[1]). MultiCare Valley Hospital in Spokane Valley is a CMS-rated 5-star hospital, but the exact travel time from central Spokane is not given here (MultiCare Valley Hospital summary^[4]). Medicare Advantage plan availability for Spokane is not given here.

At Spokane International Airport, the 2025 climate summary showed an average maximum temperature of 60.6°F and average minimum of 42.0°F for the year, while June 2026 averaged 74.9°F for daily highs and 52.0°F for daily lows (NWS annual climate summary^[5], NWS June 2026 climate summary^[6]). The National Weather Service climate normals page for Spokane shows typical daily maxima in the upper 60s for mid-September and minimums in the mid-40s, which is consistent with a shoulder-season climate that is pleasant but not mild year-round (NWS Spokane climate page^[7]). Spokane’s station climate normals and temperatures are given, but a clean annual precipitation total and compiled sunny-days figure are not given here.

Spokane County has a violent crime rate of 106.4 per 100,000 residents, essentially at the national average of 106.2, and a property crime rate of 272.9 per 100,000 residents, 66.8% above the national average (Crime Explorer, Spokane County^[8]). The Spokane city page reported violent crime at 224.2 per 100,000 residents and property crime at 442.2 per 100,000 (Crime Explorer, Spokane city^[9]). The material indicates a 2019-2024 trend window for Spokane, but the county figure is the more defensible baseline.

The Spokane-Spokane Valley metro’s FHFA House Price Index shows a 1-year change of -0.05% and a 5-year change of 29.12%, which points to still-elevated home values despite a recent plateau (FHFA HPI^[10]). HUD’s Spokane Housing Market Area report says the HMA is the Spokane-Spokane Valley MSA, the sales market is balanced, and the area had a 3.1-month supply of homes for sale in May 2025, up from 2.9 months a year earlier (HUD CHMA 2025^[11]). Realtor.com’s Spokane market snapshot puts the median listing price at $453K and average days on market at 37, while Spokane County’s market page shows $434,947 median listing price and 55 days on market, both with data tied to Spokane-area MLS activity (Realtor.com Spokane^[12], Realtor.com Spokane County^[13]). Active-adult options are present, including 6 active adult communities in Spokane and 55+ communities such as Affinity at South Hill and Affinity at Mill Road (After55 Spokane^[14]).

Spokane International Airport is the nearest commercial airport, and FAA delay information identified it as GEG in Spokane, Washington (FAA delay map^[15]). GEG is the relevant airport for Spokane, but a precise drive-time estimate from a specific neighborhood and a full current route list are not given here. For a retiree, the airport is useful primarily as the regional connection point for trips to larger hubs rather than as a major intercontinental gateway.

Spokane-area golf is a meaningful retirement amenity, but a precise within-30-minutes tally and greens-fee estimate are not given here. Spokane's broader geography still supports the usual inland Northwest recreation mix, including hiking, lake use, and winter sports access in season, and the climate data show why most golfers will prefer late spring through early fall (NWS annual climate summary^[5], NWS Spokane climate page^[7]).

Spokane city had an estimated population of 230,604 and a median age of 37, while Spokane County had 555,947 residents and 17.8% age 65 and over (Census QuickFacts, Spokane city^[16], Census QuickFacts, Spokane County^[1]). The county's bachelor-degree rate was 32.1% and the city reported a median household income of $73,513, pointing to a solid but not elite professional base (Census QuickFacts, Spokane County^[1]). For retirees, that usually translates into a practical mix of services, medical access, and a downtown that feels active rather than resort-oriented.

Spokane County's National Risk Index is around 90 out of 100, with standout hazards including wildfire, flood, earthquake, and heat, and essentially no hurricane exposure because the county is inland (FEMA NRI summary via Spokane County pages^[17], Risk Before Buy, Spokane^[18]). The county is specifically named as Spokane County, which is the correct county-level geography for the FEMA NRI, and the sources note that wildfire and heat are among the strongest modeled hazards. An official EPA air quality page for annual good-air days is not given here, so no AQI figure or smoke-season severity score is given.