Spokane neighborhoods: prices, housing stock and what is nearby

Prices in Spokane vary by the age of the housing stock, lot size and distance to downtown or a major employer like Fairchild Air Force Base or the medical district on Fifth Avenue. A 1920s bungalow on the South Hill with original hardwood floors will price differently than a 2015 build in North Spokane with a three-car garage, even if the square footage is close.

Spokane County has seen significant price movement over the past several years, and buyers researching the market should look at recent comparable sales in the specific neighborhood they are considering rather than relying on citywide averages. The Spokesman-Review covered how home prices across the region have shifted, which is a useful reminder that conditions can differ sharply block by block.

Lot Size and Age of Construction

Older neighborhoods near downtown tend to have smaller lots, mature trees and homes built between 1900 and 1950. Newer subdivisions in areas like Five Mile Prairie or parts of Spokane Valley sit on larger parcels, often a quarter acre or more, with construction dates from the 1990s through today.

Proximity to Downtown and Major Employers

Commute time matters a lot in a city where Interstate 90 is the main east-west artery. A home in Browne's Addition or the lower South Hill can mean a ten-minute drive or a short bus ride to downtown offices and Gonzaga University, while homes in Liberty Lake or far North Spokane can mean a twenty to thirty minute commute depending on traffic.

2. South Hill and Comstock: Older Housing Stock and Established Streets

The South Hill and the Comstock area are known for older homes, mature landscaping and streets that climb up toward Manito Park. Housing here ranges from compact 1920s cottages to larger Craftsman and Tudor-style homes built before 1950.

Typical Homes You Will Find

Many homes on the South Hill were built between 1905 and 1945, with brick exteriors, covered front porches and detached garages accessed from an alley. Square footage commonly runs from 1,200 to 2,400 square feet, with some larger homes near High Drive offering views over the Hangman Valley.

What Is Nearby

Manito Park, with its 90 acres of gardens including the Duncan Garden and Gaiser Conservatory, sits at the center of the South Hill. Grand Boulevard offers a strip of small shops and coffee spots, and the Perry District along South Perry Street has restaurants, a bakery and an art walk held several times a year. The High Drive Bluff Trail runs along the edge of the hill with views of the Hangman Valley below.

3. Kendall Yards and West Central: Newer Construction Near the River

Kendall Yards is a newer, planned community built on a former rail yard along the north bank of the Spokane River, just west of downtown. Construction here has been ongoing since the early 2010s, which makes it one of the newest housing stocks close to the city center.

Condo and Townhome Stock

Kendall Yards offers a mix of condos, townhomes and single-family homes, many built with energy-efficient standards and modern layouts. Units range from compact one-bedroom condos to larger three-bedroom townhomes with rooftop decks facing the river or Riverfront Park.

Walkable Amenities

Residents can walk to a weekly farmers market held on Saturdays from spring through fall, along with restaurants, a brewery and a wine bar along Summit Parkway. The Centennial Trail runs directly through the area, connecting to Riverfront Park and downtown Spokane within about a fifteen-minute walk or a five-minute bike ride.

4. North Spokane and Five Mile: Space, Newer Builds and Commute Times

North Spokane and the Five Mile Prairie area generally offer larger lots and newer construction than neighborhoods closer to downtown. This part of the city stretches from the Y, where Highway 2 and 395 split, up toward the Mead and Colbert areas.

Housing Stock in North Spokane

Many homes in North Spokane were built from the 1970s through today, with a noticeable amount of new construction still happening in subdivisions off Hawthorne Road and Country Homes Boulevard. Lot sizes here often range from a quarter acre to a half acre, larger than what you typically find closer to downtown.

Parks and Everyday Errands

Riverside State Park and the Bowl and Pitcher rock formation sit on the western edge of North Spokane, offering trails along the Spokane River. Shopping centers along Division Street and Wandermere provide grocery stores, big box retailers and restaurants, and commute times to downtown typically run between fifteen and twenty-five minutes depending on the specific neighborhood and traffic on Division.

5. Spokane Valley: Price Range and What You Get for It

Spokane Valley sits east of the city along Interstate 90 and tends to offer larger homes and lots for comparable or lower prices than similar square footage closer to downtown Spokane. It is its own incorporated city, with a population of roughly 100,000, and has its own permitting and development patterns worth understanding separately from Spokane proper.

Single-Family Stock and Lot Sizes

Housing in Spokane Valley ranges from older ranch-style homes built in the 1960s and 1970s to newer two-story builds in subdivisions near Greenacres and Liberty Lake. Lot sizes here commonly run from a third of an acre up to a full acre in some of the outer areas, which is larger than what buyers typically find in the city center.

Shopping, Schools and Commute to Downtown

Spokane Valley has its own retail corridor along Sprague Avenue and Pines Road, with grocery stores, restaurants and the Spokane Valley Mall. The city maintains its own data on local housing conditions, which you can review through the Spokane Valley Housing Market page. Commute times into downtown Spokane from most parts of the Valley run between fifteen and thirty minutes via I-90, depending on how far east you are. Families researching school boundaries should check directly with the Central Valley or East Valley school districts, since zoning varies by street.

6. How to Compare Neighborhoods Before You Make an Offer

The best way to compare Spokane neighborhoods is to pull recent sold listings in each area, not just active listings, since asking prices and final sale prices can differ. Looking at price per square foot, days on market and lot size across at least three to five recent sales in each neighborhood gives you a clearer picture than a single listing.

Market forecasts can offer useful context on broader trends, such as the analysis found in the Spokane Home Value Forecast from Sammamish Mortgage, though local, block-level data should always guide your final decision.

• Pull sold comps: look at closed sales from the last 90 days within a half mile of the home you are considering.
• Check days on market: a shorter or longer number tells you how quickly homes in that specific area are moving right now, which can vary block by block.
• Drive the commute at rush hour: Spokane's I-90 corridor and Division Street can add real time during peak hours.
• Verify school boundaries directly: contact Spokane Public Schools, Central Valley, Mead or East Valley districts since attendance zones can split a single street.
• Review city or county crime data independently: Spokane Police Department and Spokane County Sheriff both publish incident data you can research for any specific address.

For a broader overview of how different pockets of the city compare in terms of amenities and housing types, the 2026 buyer's guide from Farr Group Northwest walks through several additional areas worth touring in person.