Carson City, NV — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

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Carson City · Carson City · population 58,148

Carson City, NV
Image: Wikipedia · Carson City, Nevada
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
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63
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Carson City stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $497,864
1-year +0.5%
5-yr CAGR +3.7%
vs 5-yr peak -0.1%
Population -0.2%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-02$498k$228k$325k$421k$518k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
15/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
89/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,861/mo$1,507$1,739$1,972202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent104116100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 22.3
Lean rent

At a 22.3 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Carson City. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
52 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
57 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
42 · w16%
Rent YoY
71 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
77 · w10%
Long thesis

Carson City has held up across the cycle: home values at $497,864 with +3.7% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Carson City's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Carson City

Carson City is a city in Carson City, Nevada, with an estimated population of 58,148. The median home value in Carson City is $497,864 as of 2026-04, up 0.5% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +3.7% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Carson City average $1,861 per month, up 3.9% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 63 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Held the highs: currently -0.1% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
○The data is the data: Carson City has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 2-criteria momentum score on this page.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Carson City (Wikipedia)

Carson City is an independent city and the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,639, making it the 6th most populous city in the state. The majority of the city's population lives in Eagle Valley, on the eastern edge of the Carson Range, a branch of the Sierra Nevada, about 30 miles (50 km) south of Reno. The city is named after the mountain man Kit Carson (1809-1868). The town began as a stopover for California-bound immigrants, but developed into a city with the Comstock Lode, a silver strike in the mountains to the northeast. The city has served as Nevada's capital since 1861, when it was still a territory. For much of its history, it was a hub for the Virginia and Truckee Railroad, although the tracks were removed in 1950.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorLori Bagwell
Area157.12 sq mi
Elevation4682 ft
MottoProud of its Past…Confident of its Future
Density405.71/sq mi
Named forKit Carson

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Carson City right now.

NWS active alerts (NV)Nevada Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Carson City routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Carson City

Sparks, NV62 · RisingElko, NV64 · RisingBoulder City, NV61 · StableReno, NV66 · Rising

Run the numbers for Carson City

ToolCan I afford Carson City?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Carson City rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Carson City to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolCarson City cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
45° / 24°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
91° / 60°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
252
~69% of year
Annual precip
9″ rain
6″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
High
Earthquake
High
Flood
Low

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Carson City listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Carson City area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
38%
Very dry climate
Median household income
$71,600
Nevada state median
Top industries (state-level)
Tourism/GamingMiningLogistics

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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