Washoe

Located in the Northwestern portion of the state, Washoe County has an estimated present “rural” population of 208,808, consisting of approximately 76,200 “rural” households. With the state’s 5th ranked Annual Median Household Income (AMHI) at $55,476 per household, in 2017 the county ranked 1st in total “rural” population among Nevada’s seventeen counties. While Washoe County contains approximately 8.4% of the state’s total resident population and is the second largest populated county in Nevada, it accounts for an estimated 33% of the state’s rural population. The City of Reno, the county seat, is located in the southwest portion of the county.

The Cities of Reno and Sparks are the only two incorporated cities within the county. Census Designated Places (CDP’s) within the county include Cold Springs, Crystal Bay, Empire, Gerlach, Golden Valley, Incline Village, Lemmon Valley, Mogul, Nixon, Spanish Springs, Sun Valley, Sutcliffe, Verdi, Wadsworth and Washoe Valley. At the time this information was collected, 86.6% of the county’s rural population was employed in the Private Sector, and the remaining 13.4% in Government related jobs. Only those Washoe County areas that meet the Nevada Rural Housing Authority (NRHA) rural guidelines (i.e., population less than 150,000) were considered for evaluation. Consequently, this information excludes population and other statistical data pertaining to the City of Reno.

County Seat: Reno County Seat

Washoe and its Housing Markets

Population

208,808

Median Household Size

2.73

Median Age

54

Median Household Income

$55,476

Housing Units

The following summarizes the distribution of homeowners versus renters among the total housing units in all areas.

Total Units
Sparks 35,377
Galena/Pleasant Valley 18,979
South Washoe Valley 1,807
Remainder of County 20,037
All Areas 76,200

Homeowners

Renters
Sparks 55.5%
44.5%
Galena/Pleasant Valley 78.9%
21.1%
South Washoe Valley 84.8%
15.2%
Remainder of County 78.5%
21.5%
All Areas 68.1%
31.9%

Estimated Occupied Units

The following summarizes the distribution of homeowners versus renters among the estimated occupied units in all areas.

All Renters

All Homeowners

Estimated Renter-Occupied Units

24,313

Estimated Owner-Occupied Units

51,887

Median Gross Rent

$1,107

Median Housing Value

$262,604

Median Rental Year Built

1986

Median Owner Year Built

1991

Percent Overburdened

42.7%

Percent Overburdened

31.8%

Overburdened Households

The following summarizes the number of households in all areas paying 30% or more of annual income toward housing costs. These households are considered overburdened.

Total Units
Sparks 13,849
Galena/Pleasant Valley 6,127
South Washoe Valley 521
Remainder of County 6,361
All Areas 26,858

Homeowners

Renters
Sparks 34.7%
44.7%
Galena/Pleasant Valley 29.9%
41.2%
South Washoe Valley 29.2%
26.5%
Remainder of County 30.1%
37.9%
All Areas 31.8%
42.7%
Percentage Age 65 and older

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