Employment/Housing

I am considering relocating to the CDA area from Boise. What are some of the larger employers in the area, including across the stateline in WA? Where might be the best place to find newer, affordable housing (3 BD/2 BA or condo)? Will consider anywhere between Spokane and/including CDA. Thanks.

Employment/Housing

Lots of companies moving in to the area so the employment outlook is better than ever in North Idaho. Sysco, Buck Knives, lots of large retail stores such as Wal-Mart and Cabella%26#39;s if you%26#39;re looking for hourly work and various computer and software companies looking for workers.

Spokane is a big city, with numerous employment possibilities and has a little bit of everything as far as jobs go, and a higher hourly wage than North Idaho (which is one of the lowest in the nation).

I%26#39;ll bet nIdahoDave will be along to add some more information to the employer list....

As far as areas to live. There are a few expensive spots on the Wa side such as Liberty Lake and parts of the Spokane Valley, but in general the housing is more affordable in Washington. That being said... right now the Coeur d%26#39;Alene area has a glut of homes for sale so prices are down and there are some real deals to be found. Post Falls, which is right on the Wa/Idaho border has some very reasonable newer subdivisions with single family homes (3+2, 1200 square feet, only a few years old) available in the $170,000%26#39;s. Lots of condos being built too, with some low prices (but watch the monthly dues which can be high).

If you%26#39;re not picky on your housing, downtown Spokane has some really inexpensive areas, but some of them are a little rough and rundown.

If I had to choose, I%26#39;d live in Idaho -- slower pace, less congestion, more trees, and some pretty nice people. Spokane is right next door so if you NEED to visit a huge mall or see high rise buildings, it%26#39;s only a very short drive (25 minutes) from Post Falls to downtown Spokane.

If you want something a little farther out but still within 30 minutes of CdA, there are quite a few ';rural'; areas such as Spirit Lake, Rathdrum and Athol which have VERY affordable homes and you can even find a small home on acreage if that%26#39;s something you%26#39;re looking for.

I%26#39;m sure Dave will be here to add more insight and hopefully help you out....

Good luck -- I think you%26#39;ll enjoy living in the pacific Northwest.

Employment/Housing

KirkandMimi did a great job of a North Idaho overview. Couple things I would add. Another major employer in both North Idaho and Spokane is the medical community. Coeur d%26#39; Alene is the center of most medical activities for all of North Idaho with Kootenai Medical Center being the largest hospital in the northern part of the state. Spokane also has several large hospitals. Spokane / North Idaho doesn%26#39;t have as much high tech industry as Boise. There are a few larger high tech employers with ITRON in Spokane being the most successful, probably the largest in North Idaho being Advanced Input Systems. There are multiple call centers also located in the Coeur d%26#39; Alene area (Verizon, US Bank, Coldwater Creek, Center Partners). Depending on your particular circumstances you may also want to keep in mind is that Washington has no state income tax but their other taxes (sales, property, license) tend to be higher than Idaho.

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