Wow, just read a great Forbes article. Spokane ranks 72nd on the top 100 cheapest places to live, indexed by the cost of living and compared against several quality of life factors such as Crime.  Spokane is only one of the 2 "cheap" cities in the West & Northwest to make the map, as the article claims the median home price in the Northwest is 50-70,000 more than other parts of the country. Spokane's median home price is higher than the $169,000 average in the south ($173,500 as of July 2009 according to the Spokane Association of Realtors).  Our competition (Modesto California) was rated one of the most miserable places to live (largely due to unemployment & crime says the article).Won't you sound smart talking to someone and rattle off "Well... you know... Spokane is the 72nd cheapest place to live in the US."I think Spokane is a great place to live, not too expensive - although I've lived here my whole life pracitcally.  What do you think?