Tell me about living in Spokane/Idaho panhandle...

[AZ800]

Should prolly go in the state specific area, but those are dead this time of year.
We have the opportunity to move to Spokane or somewhere near. Have lived all over the mountains of western us. Always seemed like an area that appeals to us. Family, kids in school, sports, typical outdoors rec activities including being sledheads.

I'm familiar enough with the geography and general cost of living including property/state income tax in WA vs ID. Makes WA seem a little cheaper outwardly with no state income tax.

Tell me the things I don't know about. Crime, schools, why I should pick one side of the state line vs the other and of course what we got waiting for us come winter when the sleds get fired up!
Also is well water an issue in areas? Seen a couple homes listed with fw storage tanks.
Why is it the best place on earth or a (&(!? hole that you can't wait to leave??

TIA

 

[AZ800]

And not city folk, but would live close enough to Spokane or CDA that it's not a total pain in the ..... To pack the kids to sports and other activities, middle school age. My commute is not really a concern.
Also looking to buy with acerage and newer home.

 

[AZ800]

No sled heads out there?
Or it's so awesome you don't want to give up the secret or it sucks so bad that you're embarrassed to admit? Lol

 

[summ8rmk]

Wa. Laws are all controlled by the Westside (seattle area). Bunch of tree hugging liberals.
I have never lived in Idaho but they have great riding and they don't have Seattle elitists controlling the country folk.
I love where i live just wish the east side of the state was separated from the westside by more than mountains.

GS6

 

[AZ800]

Ha, yeah I've lived here on the wet side just long enough to know that there's a lot of bs in WA.
Still about 50/50 whether we stay here or go to the sunny side, but outwardly, cost of living seems to favor WA for me as no state income tax is a lot bigger savings each year than the little bit I'd save on property tax in ID.
Houses both sides of the state line seem comparatively priced as I'd expect they'd be wedged between Spokane and Coeur dAlene.

Sure like the prospect of lower cost of living, better weather all around and seems a lot more like Colorado than the rainforest....

 

[eddy]

WA vs ID

The total tax load is lower in ID, all figured in.
Where ever you go along the WA/OR and ID border is great riding!

 

[Spiced Wafer]

cda vs spk

OK i'm biased, i live in cda

we use spk for stuff that we can't get in cda, mainly the airport and concerts.

cda is prettier than spk
cda is cleaner than spk
cda has less homeless than spk
cda has a lake that everyone from spk comes to use
cda(id) has less sales tax than spk
cda has great mtn biking closer
you generally have to drive through cda to get to the riding
most of the riding for us (cda and spk) is usually in idaho, so closer to the riding
cda has less people
cda area has more open land
cda is cool, spk is not (ok that is more personall )


spk has an airport cda doesn't (it does, but not for commercial flights)
spk pays better than cda
spk is probably easier to find a job
finding a good paying job in cda is harder
spk has more of the city feel (even though it isn't compared to seattle or portland)
spk has legal drugs if your into that cda doesn't
cda is very much a red state, so is spk though

more outdoor activity in cda vs spk

all in all it's a great place to live if you can afford it. schools aren't bad (i believe you get out of school as much as you u put into it)

good luck.

hope it helps

if you do move, we are very friendly and a lot of folks would be more than happy to show you around in the mtns.

 

[SRXSRULE]

I dont have kids, but I have heard nothing but bad comments on the idaho public school system. do a little research and you will find they rank very low when compared to all 50 states. Lots of Home schooling and MANY small private schools that cost a bunch of money to enroll in.

Good luck where ever you end up! Eric