#19 Deer Park, Washington

Written on

July 30, 2020

in

Metro Spokane Places to Live

2020 population: 4,421
Drive time to downtown Coeur d’Alene: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Drive time to downtown Spokane: 30 minutes

Lake & Timber Towns of the Spokane Metro

Overall Character: ★★★☆☆
Urban: ★☆☆☆☆
Suburban: ★★★☆☆
Walkability: ★★☆☆☆
Market Activity: ★★★☆☆
Farm Town: ☆☆☆☆☆
Timber Town: ★★★☆☆
Lake / River Town: ★☆☆☆☆

Deer Park Community Description

Located in the northern reaches of Spokane County, Deer Park is near discovery. It’s easy striking distance from Deer Park to the congested northern urbanized area of the metro, yet just far enough away to allow Deer Park to continue to stand on its own.

Downtown Deer Park is alive, to a degree, and I’d give high odds that the next decade will see increasing investment in and around Deer Park because it is, indeed, the next domino to fall as Spokane suburbanizes northward.

Yet, Deer Park has not quite tapped into the main stream of Spokane’s real estate development market. It’s still more old Deer Park than an emerging hipster commune. Old Deer Park being on par with cultural aspects of old north Idaho towns. I.e., Deer Park still has a high degree of down home left in her. Nevertheless, it’s rustic town center, market capacity to carry higher end activities, such as a large grocery store and numerous bars and restaurants (including franchises), allows Deer Park to provide all the basic creature comforts one expects when residing in an emerging suburb that’s about to be swallowed up by the metropolis it orbits.

Additionally, suburban style investment has already arrived in Deer Park, as illustrated in several forms, such as franchise restaurants and a good number of strip malls. But the highest example is the subdivision around the Deer Park Golf Club, which represents the newest (and fastest growing) neighborhood in Deer Park. Naturally, the subdivision’s homes circle around the golf course and many of them are priced at points whereby a young family can afford to buy-in. As most subdivisions tend to go, however, it feels a little detached from Deer Park’s street system. It’s somewhat walkable within the subdivision but one would have a hard time walking downtown (or work or school or whatever) from the development.

Alas, Deer Park is still awaiting a developer that adds to its urban character rather than detaches from it. One way or another, Deer Park is ready to pop.