CitytisticsShortlist

Chena Ridge, AK vs Minnehaha, WA

Chena Ridge

Alaska

vs

Minnehaha

Washington

Across 34 directional measures we can compare, Chena Ridge leads on 17 and Minnehaha on 17. Counting measures is not an overall verdict: their importance depends on your priorities. Median rent is 54% higher in Minnehaha, while median household income is higher in Chena Ridge.

Median gross rent
$1,110$1,711
Chena Ridge is 35% lower
Median household income
$133,775$100,668
Chena Ridge is 33% higher
Median home value
$395,500$447,900
Chena Ridge is 12% lower

The Citytistics read

  • After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household has about $114,300 a year left in Chena Ridge and $79,000 in Minnehaha. Money goes further in Chena Ridge, by about $35,300 a year.
  • A household earning Chena Ridge's median of $133,775 would need about $136,500 in Minnehaha to keep the same money after rent and local prices.
  • Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent outran pay by 1.2 points a year in Chena Ridge, and pay outran rent by 0.9 points a year in Minnehaha.

How these are calculated

AlaskaWashingtonMinnehaha, WAChena Ridge, AKChena RidgeMinnehahaChena RidgeMinnehaha

Which fits you?

Both start on the Citytistics Index (CTX). Move the sliders to weigh what matters to you and the score becomes your own mix.

Your weights

Top 2 of 2 matching places. Places in the top 1% show their national rank.

#PlaceCTXAffordabilityEconomyEducationSafetyCommuteAmenitiesGrowth
01Chena Ridge, AKComposite 65.5 / 100
88
886576n/a7622n/a
02Minnehaha, WAComposite 47.9 / 100
45
424547n/a7939n/a

CTX is the Citytistics Index: better than that share of the places we rate. It tops out at 99, so the top 1% show their national rank (#1 is best). Change any weight to rank on your own mix. How the CTX is built

Every measure

The dots show where each place sits among the 6,645 places we track. The bar is the median. A small dot after a value marks the better one.

MeasureChena RidgeMinnehahaAmong all places
Cost of living
Median gross rent1$1,110$1,711
Rent to income110.0%20.4%
Property tax rate11.2%0.8%
Home price to income13.0x4.5x
Prices vs US average2103.2105.4
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3$1,553$1,878
HUD area median income4$116,300n/a
Housing
Property tax paid (median)1$4,850$3,647
Median home value1$395,500$447,900
Home prices, 1-year change55.0%2.0%
Home prices, 5-year change535.8%42.5%
Homeownership175.7%76.4%
Renters paying 30%+137.9%45.2%
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,600$2,071
Vacant homes114.1%4.1%
Median year built119981998
Jobs and income
Median household income1$133,775$100,668
Income per person1$66,216$47,326
Unemployment15.3%6.8%
Average annual pay6$72,255$75,483
Pay growth, 1 year63.7%3.8%
Jobs637,074182,798
Poverty rate16.1%5.6%
Mean commute121 min20 min
Works from home16.5%18.2%
Commutes by transit10.0%1.0%
People
Population15,88111,482
Median age137.539.0
Bachelor's or higher147.8%30.6%
High school or higher197.9%94.5%
Household size12.52.5
Born abroad15.6%13.3%
No health insurance19.0%9.2%
Homes with broadband194.6%93.0%
Moving
Moved here in the past year19.7%8.2%
Moved from another state16.8%3.8%
Net movers per 1,000 people7-18.24.2
Income of households moving in7$54,670$91,671
Income of households moving out7$65,964$81,654
Local life
Restaurants and bars per 10k822.916.7
Shops per 10k828.420.7
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k89.03.5
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k822.317.2
Child care centers per 10k82.62.2
Parks per 10k96.813.9
Playgrounds per 10k90.019.2
Grocery stores per 10k90.01.7
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k90.02.6
Libraries per 10k90.00.0
Named paths and bike trails928.30.3
Transit stops per sq mi90.03.2
Nearest National Park Service site10129.83.2
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1001
National Register listings113645
Schools
Public schools1235149
Public school students1223,42074,366
Students per teacher1233.718.8
Climate
July average high1369°F79°F
January average low13-3°F35°F
Average temperature1328°F52°F
Annual precipitation1316.9 in66.9 in
Hazards and air
Natural hazard risk1488.592.2
Tornado risk140.731.3
Wildfire risk1497.669.6
Heat wave risk14n/a95.9
Median air quality index154433
Good air days1556.4%82.7%

Data bundle checked 2026-11-14; individual source vintages vary. Rent needed at the 30% line: Chena Ridge $44,400, Minnehaha $68,440 a year.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology.

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