During part of the keynote address at Greater Spokane Incorporated's Manufacturing Expo earlier this month, Pearson Packaging Systems Inc. CEO Michael Senske mentioned Spokane's quality of life as one of the Inland Northwest's positive attributes.

Senske isn't alone; quality of life comes up frequently during presentations in which speakers are talking about the pros and cons of doing business in Spokane.

Good quality of life is a little like a good sense of humor in that it's hard to quantify. Also, like a sense of humor, lots of people think they have it, even if others might dispute it. However, the Journal's newly released 2013 Market Fact Book contains among its 90-plus charts and graphs a few indicators that give credence to the assertions by Senske and others about the quality of life in the Inland Northwest.

During the 2011-12 school year, seven of the 14 public school districts here spent more per pupil than the state average of $9,739, but just three of the districts exceeded the state average per-pupil levy of $1,936. In other words, they're investing more in students while charging taxpayers less, which suggests a better bang for the buck.

At the same time, despite concerns in the past about Spokane's drop-out rate—more accurately described as an on-time graduation rate—a greater percentage of Spokane County adults have high school diplomas and have gone on to college than in Washington state as whole.

In the Spokane-area housing market, homes are appreciating but remain affordable. Spokane's median single-family home price in 2012 was $169,500, 96 percent of the U.S. median price of $177,200. The Spokane median rose about $7,000 compared with the previous year. The median price in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue market crested $300,000 last year.

Helping the Spokane housing market is the fact that the number of foreclosures finally has started to drop off substantially. The Spokane County Auditor's Office reported 685 foreclosures last year, compared with more than 1,100 the previous year.

As homes remain affordable, so does electricity. A nationwide sampling of electricity rates in metropolitan areas shows that Avista's residential customers pay an average of just under $80 a month for power, less than any other group in the sampling. Spokane-area homeowners who receive power from Inland Power & Light Co. and Vera Water & Power pay even less on a monthly basis.

The average commute is 21.5 minutes, which bolsters the sentiment that everything is 20 minutes away.

The sun is out more than half the time for nine months out of the year, and more than 1 million people came to Spokane, in all likelihood to see the attractions that numbers can't quantify.

Of course, it's not all waterfalls and merry-go-rounds. The numbers show a number of areas in which improvement is essential.

Per-capita income in Spokane County in 2011was about $35,900, 86 percent of the U.S. average. That's up from $35,100 and 83 percent of the national average in 2010, but still far enough below average to be of concern.

Murder increased by an alarming amount last year, compared with 2011. In Spokane County and the cities of Spokane and Spokane Valley, 19 murders occurred, up from seven the previous year. This occurred as property crimes continued to climb as well.

While there certainly is room for improvement, there's something to the quality of life claims for the Spokane area. Some of the numbers bear that out. Perhaps we'll have even more evidence next year.