Question about Coeur D'Alene (Boise, Caldwell: live in, shop, homeless)

[bigboyz06]

I was just wondering is Coeur D'Alene part of the Spokane metro or is it separate?

[LionFamily]

Personally, I think CDA/Post Falls/Spokane Valley/Spokane are properly considered one (large) metropolitan area. There is still some (fairly) open space between them, though (at this point.) I don't know how economists look at it, though.

[Bernadette_]

This article in the Spokesman Review states that Spokane and Coeur d'Alene are now considered one metro area according the the US Census Bureau.

I can see the reason for grouping them together economically. Many people live in CDA but work in Spokane. Spokane residents often come to CDA to enjoy the lake and downtown. CDA residents often shop in Spokane for things that they can't find in CDA.

Personally I don't consider them to be 'the same area' demographically. Homelessness, prostitution and drug culture is much more apparent in Spokane than in CDA. These things occur in CDA but it's far less prevalent and out of the view of the public.

[bigboyz06]

Thanks guys!

[pnw2016]

It's a good twenty to thirty minute drive from downtown CDA to downtown Spokane. Some of that's inhabited and some of it's wilderness.

[KurtAngleDoesn'tSuck]

Originally Posted by pnw2016

It's a good twenty to thirty minute drive from downtown CDA to downtown Spokane. Some of that's inhabited and some of it's wilderness.

Not all that different than driving from Caldwell to Boise, and we're a metro.