Essentials

Quality of life can be hard to measure, but you recognize it when you live it. Clean air, good schools, jobs, recreation, art and affordability all rank high, but ask those who’ve discovered this place what they love about the Spokane region and you get the real picture.

A banker will tell you how heartening it’s been to witness the region hold steady during economic hard times thanks to our mix of industries including aerospace, high tech, health care, manufacturing, education, forestry, mining and agriculture.

A mom will enthusiastically list all the places she takes her kids: parks, museums, concerts, fairs and festivals. Her teenager will confess it’s cool to live less than two hours from five ski and snowboard resorts, that there’s nothing better than inner tubing down the Spokane River on a hot July day. And don’t get dad started on fishing, hunting, mountain biking and boating.

A retiree on her morning walk in downtown Riverfront Park will point to the sparkling river and thundering falls, show you the public art and suggest you drive up the hill to see the flower bonanza at South Hill’s Manito Park.

And a college student rushing to class across one of our leafy campuses? He might cite affordable tuition. Or she could tell you about the first-class education she’s getting, or her new internship. They both might brag about their football or basketball team.

Framed by mountains and rolling farmland, dotted with lakes and rivers, alive with a bustling downtown and a hub of business, medicine and education, it’s no wonder Spokane’s residents sing its praises.