Cheney
A small city southwest of Spokane and home of Eastern Washington University — university-town character, a 25-minute I-90 commute to downtown, and family homes from $325K to $700K.
Cheney is a small city in southwest Spokane County, Washington, anchored by Eastern Washington University and sitting roughly 17 miles from downtown Spokane along I-90. It is known for its university-town character — a working historic downtown, a steady student rental market, and a residential mix that ranges from 1900s farmhouses to present-day subdivisions. Median home sales typically run $325K to $550K, with newer family homes on the south and west sides trading $500K to $700K.
At a glance
- Schools: Cheney School District 360 — Snowdon, Salnave, Sunset Elementary, Cheney Middle, Cheney High
- Median price band: $325K–$550K; newer family homes $500K–$700K
- Construction era: 1900s through present mix
- Lot size: city lots in town; larger parcels on the perimeter
- Commute: ~25 minutes to downtown Spokane via I-90
- Recreation: Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, EWU recreation facilities, Fish Lake Trail
What makes it different
Cheney is a working university town first and a Spokane suburb second. The EWU campus sits inside city limits and drives both the rhythm of the community and a meaningful share of the housing demand. Student-oriented rentals occupy a defined zone around campus, while family-oriented subdivisions sit on the south and west edges and the original residential grid sits between.
The other distinguishing factor is price. Cheney consistently delivers detached single-family inventory at price points 15–25% below comparable Spokane and Spokane Valley homes, primarily because the commute to downtown Spokane and the university-rental presence both moderate values. For buyers willing to commit to the I-90 drive or to work-from-home setups, that gap is real.
Who lives here
A three-segment mix: EWU faculty, staff, and graduate students; long-tenure Cheney families with multi-generational roots; and incoming buyers from Spokane and out-of-state who specifically targeted Cheney for the price-to-square-foot math. The Cheney School District has a strong reputation, which keeps the family-buyer segment active.
The catch
College-town rental density is concentrated near campus, and the character of those blocks shifts noticeably between the academic year and summer. Train noise is real on the east side of town — the BNSF main line runs through Cheney and freight traffic is steady, day and night. Weather is windier and a few degrees cooler than Spokane proper, particularly in winter; the Channeled Scablands geography channels wind through the area. Some 1900s housing stock needs full systems work before insurance will issue a standard policy.
How it compares
Cheney vs Airway Heights: Cheney delivers the EWU anchor, a more established downtown, and a stronger school district; Airway Heights delivers newer construction and a shorter Spokane commute. Cheney vs Medical Lake: similar small-city scale, Cheney larger and university-anchored, Medical Lake quieter and more lake-oriented. Buyers choose Cheney when the price-per-square-foot math and a working downtown matter more than the daily I-90 drive.