The Falls

Fri., Nov. 30, 2007

By Shawn Vestal shawnv@spokesman.com (509) 459-5431

It’s time for another statistical cage match.

Today: Spokane vs. Akron. The Lilac City versus The Rubber City. Both cities are roughly 200,000. Both are on bodies of water – Akron sits on shipping canals. Both cities have faded histories rooted in manufacturing.

We compare on some other measures, using statistics from the Census Bureau’s Web site, www.census.gov, and other sources:

Percentage of uninsured residents: Spokane, 13.4; Akron, 8.7.

Median household income, 2006: $53,900; Akron, $40,577.

Median home price, 2006: Spokane, $166,000; Akron, $125,030.

Population change between 2000 and 2003: Spokane, 0.5 percent; Akron, 2.2 percent.

Percentage of grandparents caring for a grandchild: Spokane, 41.3; Akron, 54.7.

Mean travel time to work: Spokane, 19.5 minutes; Akron, 21.4

Percentage of population with a college degree: Spokane, 25.4; Akron, 18.

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