Reno, NV — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Nevada·Reno

Washoe County · Reno · population 281,714

Big-city amenities
Reno, NV
Image: Wikipedia · Reno, Nevada
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
66
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Reno stands

Rents up 8.4% in the last year.

Median home $570,934
1-year -0.3%
5-yr CAGR +3.8%
vs 5-yr peak -2.8%
Population +1.6%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2022-06$571k$279k$390k$500k$611k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
50/100
Somewhat walkable
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
38/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
92/100
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
$1,877/mo$1,393$1,691$1,990202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent121127100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 25.3
Rent

At a 25.3 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Reno for most shorter holds. The premium you pay to own would take many years of rent savings to recoup, and that's before maintenance, taxes, and opportunity cost on the down payment.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
49 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
58 · w22%
Distance from peak
73 · w18%
Population growth
74 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
72 · w10%
Long thesis

Reno has held up across the cycle: home values at $570,934 with +3.8% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Reno'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 Reno

Reno is a city in Washoe County, Nevada, with an estimated population of 281,714. The population grew 1.6% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Reno is $570,934 as of 2026-04, down 0.3% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +3.8% annual growth (-2.8% from the 5-year peak). Rents in Reno average $1,877 per month, up 8.4% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 66 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Net positive migration: population up 1.6% per year — demand fundamentals are intact.
●Held the highs: currently -2.8% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Hot rental market: rents up 8.4% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

●Rental squeeze: rents up 8.4% YoY — tenants face tough renewals. Affordability deteriorating fast.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Reno (Wikipedia)

Reno is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County. Sitting in the High Eastern Sierra foothills, in the Truckee River valley, on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada, it is about 23 miles (37 km) northeast of Lake Tahoe. Reno is the 78th most populous city in the United States, the third most populous city in Nevada, and the most populous in Nevada outside the Las Vegas Valley. It is known as "The Biggest Little City in the World" and had a population of 264,165 at the 2020 census.

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

City facts

MayorHillary Schieve
Nickname"The Biggest Little City in the World", "The Big R"
Named forJesse L. Reno

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 Washoe County right now.

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

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

Neighborhoods of Reno

39 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Galena$1,220,165-0.5%
2South Reno$1,042,923+1.9%
3Caughlin Ranch$1,005,843-0.3%
4Meadowood$939,169+3.7%
5West Huffaker$937,874+5.2%
6Southwest$841,178+0.1%
7Somersett$799,855-0.1%
8Old Southwest$770,508+1.0%
9Damonte Ranch$758,514+0.1%
10Lakeridge$758,176-0.2%
11Mogul$748,787-1.5%
12West 4th Street$709,951-1.1%
13Steamboat$696,177+0.8%
14Northwest$633,579+1.8%
15Idlewild$610,452-0.4%
16Double Diamond$606,713-1.0%
17Golden Valley$595,786-1.4%
18Midtown$591,894+0.8%
19Plumus$582,363-3.4%
20Panther Valley$573,618-1.1%
21Old Northwest – West University$516,176-1.6%
22Mae Anne$514,620-0.2%
23Mountain View$502,121-3.9%
24Donner Springs$485,654+1.1%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Reno

Sparks, NV62 · RisingHenderson, NV61 · StableCarson City, NV63 · RisingNorth Las Vegas, NV63 · Rising

Run the numbers for Reno

ToolCan I afford Reno?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Reno rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Reno to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolReno 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 Reno 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 Reno 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.

Cities similar to Reno

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