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Just out of college? Spokane’s the place

Zillow ranks the city as a top market

By Rob Smith October 11, 2023

courtesy of gonzaga copy-cropped (1)

This article originally appeared in the September/October 2023 issue of Seattle magazine.

Move over, Seattle. Spokane has your number.

Seattle online real estate company Zillow ranks the midsize eastern Washington city, home to private Gonzaga University, as the second-best market in the country for recent college graduates. Zillow analyzed rent, income, job growth, and share of the population in its 20s.

“Typical rent is $1,563 compared to $2,223 in Seattle, meaning the typical recent graduate will spend about 31% of their income on rent,” writes Anushna Prakash, an economic analyst at the company. “Though the 20-something population is less than in other metropolitan areas, plentiful job opportunities push this market near the top of the list.”

Colorado Springs ranks No. 1. Des Moines, Iowa, Phoenix, and Buffalo round out the list.

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