Sparks receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Reno
Sparks
Opportunity: Reno is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
71 · Top 21%
vs68 · Top 26%
Growth: Sparks is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
56 · Top 39%
vs71 · Top 15%
Climate
64 · Bottom 32%
vs64 · Bottom 32%
Physical resilience: Reno is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 17%
vs22 · Bottom 17%
Housing affordability: Sparks is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
56 · Bottom 15%
vs63 · Bottom 24%
Schools: Sparks is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
62 · Top 36%
vs66 · Top 31%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability: Sparks is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 45%
vs67 · Top 37%
Measured values
| Metric | Reno | Sparks | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 273,212 | 110,024 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $80,760 | $89,056 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $47,051 | $42,099 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,507/sq mi | 3,015/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $548,300 | $483,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,556 | $1,716 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 49.8% | 59.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.2% | -0.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.8% | 27.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.6% | 8.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,271 | 1,067 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.7 | 9.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -39.8% | 27.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 94°F | 94°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 7.4" | 7.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 6 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.1 min | 25.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.1 | 37.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 79 | 26 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.62 | 19.55 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 33.7% | 35.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 45.2% | 45.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 54.8% | 68.0% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Reno
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Sparks
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: Reno, NV · Sparks, NV · How this is calculated: methodology