Airway Heights, WA, United States

Living near two major airports means constant jet noise, but that's the trade-off for affordable housing just 8 miles from downtown Spokane. This working-class city of 10,757 has seen its fortunes rise since the 1990s, largely thanks to two casinos and a state corrections facility that turned a sleepy airfield community into a growing suburban outpost.

The demographics tell an unusual story - there are over 150 men for every 100 women, reflecting the presence of the prison population. A third of households have kids under 18, but the median age is just 32.8 years. Despite the prison, it's very much a family town - about 35% of households are married couples, though single-parent homes make up a significant portion of the community. The terrain rises 500 feet above Spokane proper, earning the "Heights" in its name and offering some relief from the otherwise flat Columbia Plateau landscape.