5 Worst Things About Living in Spokane

Are you considering moving your family to Spokane but wondering if living here is as great as you’ve heard?

In this blog post, I’m going to share with you the 5 worst things about living in Spokane, so you have an accurate picture of what it’s like to live here before you pull the trigger on your move.

My name is Emily Silcock and I’m a Realtor that specializes in educating and helping families relocate to Spokane. We moved to Spokane from Seattle in early 2020 and I really do love living here, but I’ll be sharing some things that surprised me about living in Spokane and some common complaints people have with living here. 

1. Spokane Winters

I actually enjoy Spokane winters having come from somewhere where it’s just grey and drizzly all the time, but many people hate the winters here and you might, too, if you’re moving from somewhere like sunny California. 

Spokane winters tend to be very cold (avg high of 33 degrees and low of 22 in January), foggy and also very snowy. And while the snow can be pretty and fun at first, it tends to linger around for a long time, which is not only ugly with all of the dirty snow banks but also annoying and sketchy if you’re trying to get outside to go for walks or runs. 

There’s really not a ton to do in the winter here unless you’re into skiing, snowboarding or snowshoeing, in which case, you’ll probably love the winters! 

You will need 4WD to get around, especially if you live in the South Hill.

2. Diversity

If you’re looking for diversity, Spokane may not be the place for you. 

85% of Spokane’s population is white. The 2020 census did find that Spokane is growing more diverse year over year, led mostly by Hispanic and Latino populations. 

Along with the lack of diversity comes a lack of ethnic food options, which is something I took for granted while living in Seattle. I have yet to find amazing Mexican food in Spokane, so if you’re watching this and know of a place, please let me know in the comments!

3. Homelessness, Drugs & Crime

Spokane is unfortunately known for its homeless population, crime, and issues with meth and other hard drugs. This is largely concentrated in the downtown area but property theft (such as packages going missing from your porch or things stolen from cars) can also be common in many of the neighborhoods. 

The City of Spokane is working on more homeless shelters, but Spokane continues to suffer from a lack of affordable housing and a rising cost of living, which are only exacerbating the homelessness problem. 

4. Street Condition

Since most of your driving in Spokane is done on surface streets, you’ll quickly realize how bad the condition of Spokane roads are. 

The freeze/thaw cycle in the winter combined with snow plows and studded tires, lead to huge potholes and ruts all over the city, so you literally feel like you’re off-roading half the time you’re driving.

The City is slow to make repairs, and even in upscale neighborhoods where you’re paying a lot to live there, you’ll find the street conditions are pretty dreadful.

5. Air Travel

This is the one annoying thing that I didn’t anticipate when moving here but have come to hate. 

The Spokane Airport does have non-stop flights to 22 cities, but if you’re going to the East Coast, Hawaii or anywhere overseas, you’re going to have an additional layover in somewhere like Seattle or another major hub. 

The inconvenience of this has become even more apparent now that we have a toddler, who we’d prefer to not have in transit for additional hours. Also, since the airport is fairly small, the times available to fly in and out of Spokane can be limited. 

But I will say that the upside of the Spokane airport is it’s very easy to navigate and security lines are typically short, so you don’t have to get there super early.