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

All states·Nevada·Sparks

Washoe County · Reno · population 111,520

Sparks, NV
Image: Wikipedia · Sparks, Nevada
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
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62
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Sparks stands

Rents up 7.9% in the last year.

Median home $530,668
1-year -0.1%
5-yr CAGR +3.7%
vs 5-yr peak -4.1%
Population +0.7%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2022-06$531k$262k$367k$471k$576k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
35/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
30/100
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
$1,988/mo$1,513$1,810$2,107202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent120123100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 22.2
Lean rent

At a 22.2 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Sparks. 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
49 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
57 · w22%
Distance from peak
65 · w18%
Population growth
59 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
71 · w10%
Long thesis

Sparks has held up across the cycle: home values at $530,668 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

Sparks'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 Sparks

Sparks is a city in Washoe County, Nevada, with an estimated population of 111,520. It anchors the Reno metro area. The population grew 0.7% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Sparks is $530,668 as of 2026-04, down 0.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +3.7% annual growth (-4.1% from the 5-year peak). Rents in Sparks average $1,988 per month, up 7.9% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 62 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Hot rental market: rents up 7.9% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.
○The data is the data: Sparks 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

●Rental squeeze: rents up 7.9% 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 Sparks (Wikipedia)

Sparks is a city in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. It was founded in 1904, incorporated on March 15, 1905, and is located just east of Reno. As of the 2020 census, Sparks had a population of 108,445. It is the fifth most populous city in Nevada. It is named after John Sparks, Nevada governor (1903–1908), and a member of the Silver Party.

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

City facts

MayorEd Lawson
Area36.60 sq mi
Elevation4413 ft
Motto"It's Happening Here!"
Density2971.83/sq mi

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.

Cities like Sparks

Carson City, NV63 · RisingReno, NV66 · RisingBoulder City, NV61 · StableElko, NV64 · Rising

Run the numbers for Sparks

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

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