Head to Head: Spokane v Coeur d'Alene (Sammamish, South Hill: sales, how much)

[aastandage]

I'm considering a relocation opportunity where I would work in Spokana and Coeur d'Alene and we're trying to side where to live.

My wife and I have 3 young boys who need a lot of room to run around. We love to camp/fish/hike/etc so because of that, we thought Coeur d'Alene, being up against the mountains, would be a natural fit.

How are the schools in both areas? Are public schools good or do a lot of people go private?

I've heard a lot about the drug use, particularly in Spokane which has me a little worried especially as my kids grow up. Should I be? Is it really that much more than most cities?

Anything else I should consider in this decision?

[Count David]

Originally Posted by aastandage

I'm considering a relocation opportunity where I would work in Spokana and Coeur d'Alene and we're trying to side where to live.

My wife and I have 3 young boys who need a lot of room to run around. We love to camp/fish/hike/etc so because of that, we thought Coeur d'Alene, being up against the mountains, would be a natural fit.

How are the schools in both areas? Are public schools good or do a lot of people go private?

I've heard a lot about the drug use, particularly in Spokane which has me a little worried especially as my kids grow up. Should I be? Is it really that much more than most cities?

Anything else I should consider in this decision?

Yeah, that two cities of differing size cannot be adequately compared.

You can give yourselves a great typical life in either city.

You could split the difference and live in Liberty Lake or Post Falls.

[seasallyttle]

Have you visited the 2 cities? They have a distinctly different feel that would be personal preference as to which you would prefer.

[ShadoAngel]

We love to camp/fish/hike/etc so because of that, we thought Coeur d'Alene, being up against the mountains, would be a natural fit.

This is somewhat of a non-factor. There's excellent hiking, fishing, camping, boating, etc. in and near both cities. Spokane and CDA are only about 30 minutes apart, so anything that's close to one isn't too much farther from the other.

Anything else I should consider in this decision?

Taxes, mostly. WA has no income tax but has a variety of others, including a pretty high sales tax. Super high gasoline taxes. ID has more tax types (including income, sales, etc.) but the general rates are lower. Overall tax burden isn't off by a lot, but depending on your situation, you might save more living in Kootenai county vs Spokane county, or vice versa.

IMO, the feel of the city and the amenities you're looking for should determine your eventual location. CDA and Spokane are very different sizes and have very different vibes. Spokane is large, urban, fairly settled in. Growth rate is slow and steady. Large industry employers are government, education, health care, etc. Not exciting, but fairly stable as well. Kootenai county and CDA has been growing by leaps and bounds the past several decades. It's a much smaller resort town. Strong focus on tourism. Tons of people and events in the summer... pretty sleepy in the winter. Lots of retirees.

In between the two is a lot of traditional suburbia - Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Post Falls, etc. If that's more your speed there's options in both states.

I'd check them both out and see what you think.

[AKtoWAtoUT]

They are pretty similar in most ways. I'd say in general the nice part of CDA (resort) is nicer than Spokane, but the outskirts of CDA are pretty depressing and run down just like anywhere. I prefer Spokane, but CDA is fine too.


Whichever side of the border you pick, I'd recommend heading north. Lots of great land and some nice small towns up north. South isn't bad but gets more extreme weather, mainly wind.


In terms of outdoor activities you mentioned, they are everywhere. Living in the Spokane area for almost my whole life, I thought the array of outdoors activities was standard nationwide--not true. Outdoor recreation is EVERYWHERE in the Spokane/North ID region. Just don't get too far South/West of Spokane and you will be fine.

[StealthRabbit]

Where is the J-O-B?

Live there. (unless schools are bad)

Spokane is nicer to visit than to live. Make your home a 'retreat' that you can enjoy being there to relax and recharge.

[RotseCherut]

Originally Posted by aastandage

I'm considering a relocation opportunity where I would work in Spokana and Coeur d'Alene and we're trying to side where to live.

My wife and I have 3 young boys who need a lot of room to run around. We love to camp/fish/hike/etc so because of that, we thought Coeur d'Alene, being up against the mountains, would be a natural fit.

How are the schools in both areas? Are public schools good or do a lot of people go private?

I've heard a lot about the drug use, particularly in Spokane which has me a little worried especially as my kids grow up. Should I be? Is it really that much more than most cities?

Anything else I should consider in this decision?

I was debating about the two cities and even though I think Couer d'Alene is a nicer city with better scenery I think I, myself, would have to lean towards Spokane. Why is this? Because, Spokane is probably not so bad of a city, overall, compared to most American cities. As well, there is no state income tax in Washington and the property prices are actually lower in Spokane as compared to Coeur d'Alene. Therefore, you get a lot more for your money and can end up living pretty nicely on the Washington side. As well, there is no sales tax on food in Spokane, unlike Idaho. In my opinion, Idaho's tax burden is much higher than Spokane's, because of Spokane's lower property values and Idaho's very high state and sales tax. So, for someone with a middle class salary 50-100k, like myself, I would be heavily burdened by the Idaho state income tax, which is one of the highest in the country. Now, if I was looking at Pocatello , where property prices are very cheap, then the Idaho side would be more feasible, although Pocatello doesn't have the beauty that Coeur d'Alene has obviously.

I just think with places like Liberty Lake, Nine Mile Falls and even most of North Spokane look pretty nice and suburban. It just appears you can live much nicer on the Washington side. However, if money is no object, than I would definitely choose the Idaho side, if you got money coming out of your ears or just need to live right on the lake, no matter how much you pay.

As far as drug use, I think the nicer parts of Spokane probably have no worse a drug problem than Coeur d'Alene. There is a lot of drugs in the Northwest, even in Idaho, so you will not escape it.. Make sure you raise your kids well and make notes on who their friends are. You can live in an upper class neighborhood and the kids could still be getting into drugs. In my opinion, if you keep a close eye on your kids and raise your kids with strict moral standards, they will be able to withstand the peer pressure and to not end up associating with the undesirable types. Believe me, there is nowhere you can live in the Northwest (or even in most parts of the country), unless you are in a very wealthy, sheltered area, like Sammamish or Medina area of the Puget Sound, where they will not have to encounter some undesirable types of kids that they must distant themselves from.

[WanderingFoot]

I am late in replying to this thread, but I recently chose Spokane, due to many issues mentioned by RotseCherut. Will be moving in two weeks to outskirts area of South Hill neighborhood. Not in same situation as you are, my child grown and the grandchildren are babies (not in Spokane, but still central WA), and Spokane is "close enough". In general, I prefer to be in or near uni/college towns, and as age is beginning to be a factor for planning, I want to be near health care, public transportation, a variety of arts and cultural activities, and I am no longer going to be owning property.

There are certainly parts of Spokane I will use caution in entering, but that is true of most places in this world. I have been living near Florence, Oregon, for the past 3 years, and thought that being within an hour of the benefits of the central valley would be "good enough". NOT. Florence, and the coast, is full of retirees, and all of the coast, is a veritable nightmare, in a serious medical emergency, as I found out. I love the ocean, but in OR and WA, being on the coast means a very long drive, or a helicopter ride from the coast to the population centers and the big hospitals. But I am getting off your thread... so, Spokane...

I talked to a woman at a city park a short distance from my new abode. She was there with her children, who were polite and cheerful. She, and they, were enthusiastic about their school(s), grammar and middle, and she was positive about the activities available to them outside school, and the neighborhood, city services, etc. Granted, she was upper middle class, and educated, but she was encouraging to me about my moving to the area. We spoke about drugs, crime, other possible living options, including CdA, for me. She said some of the things the others in this thread have said, drugs are everywhere, the lifestyle is what you make it, opportunities for outdoor activities are great everywhere, and paying attention to where you are will ameliorate the possibility for being exposed to criminal activity.

I also had conversations with a variety of other folks around the area, from Cheney to CdA, north and south, different ages, backgrounds, and life goals... the majority were endorsing the general area. Some were lifelong residents, some had been raised there, and moved back later in life, some were relative newcomers. I think if I had piles of money, I'd move to a place on the lake in CdA and buy a 4WD SUV. But I am not of that demographic, I don't want to live in a retirement community, and I can go visit Idaho in under an hour; my family members will be a little closer if I am in Spokane. I will volunteer in the beautiful high school down the street from my new home, have a part time job somewhere close by, and plan to enjoy the outdoors. A good book, a meal with friends, or a flight out will do me, when I need to escape. I hope to be content with my choice. No place is perfect.