Elko County, Nevada Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Elko County, NV Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around averageWealthiest county in Nevada
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Elko County | Nevada Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 54,047 | 3,183,702 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3.1 | 28.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.48% | 1.46% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.8 | 37.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 19,627 | 1,202,222 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Elko County grew by 16.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 54,047 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Elko County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 23.1% of residents. That is about the same share as Nevada.
- Gen Z 13–28 11,714 21.7% +0.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 12,482 23.1% on par
- Gen X 45–60 10,980 20.3% -0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,439 13.8% -2.7 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Nevada, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 48.1% of the people living in Elko County and men 51.9%.
- Women 48.1% Nevada 49.6%
- Men 51.9% Nevada 50.4%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Elko County
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Economy
Elko County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Elko County | Nevada Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $85,196 | $78,637 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 1.73% | 4.94% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 6.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Elko County is about 8% higher than in Nevada.
Housing
| Metric | Elko County | Nevada Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $229,762 | $357,758 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,163 | $1,597 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.4% | 60.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Elko County is about 16.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,163 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Elko County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 149 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Elko County | Nevada Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.8 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.7 | 44.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 149 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,605 | $5,797 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.3% | 11.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,101 | 6,563 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 336 | 1,402 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Nevada:
Esmeralda County (7.5 min), Lincoln County (8.6 min), Mineral County (10.5 min).
Slowest:
Storey County (32.7 min), Lyon County (25.8 min), Clark County (23.1 min).
The average commute time in Elko County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Nevada.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Elko County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Elko County | Nevada Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.8% | 24.4% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.71 | 2.62 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Nevada:
Douglas County (0.3), Storey County (0.3), Washoe County (0.3).
Lowest:
Eureka County (0.2), Nye County (0.2), Pershing County (0.2).
Health
Elko County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Elko County | Nevada Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.1 | 78.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.8% | 17.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.2% | 20.5% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Nevada:
Washoe County (0.8), Douglas County (0.8), Storey County (0.8).
Lowest:
Nye County (0.8), Mineral County (0.8), Lyon County (0.8).
Elko County, NV Compared With Nearby Counties
How Elko County, NV compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elko County, NV | 54,047 | $85,196 #1/3 | $229,762 #2/3 | 17.8 min #2/3 |
| Twin Falls County, ID | 89,838 | $68,126 | $185,795 | 15.5 min |
| Jerome County, ID | 25,173 | $71,652 | $275,000 | 18.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Elko County, Nevada.
How big is Elko County, Nevada by population?
About 54,047 people live in Elko County, Nevada, in 19,627 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 35.8, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is Elko County, Nevada mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Elko County, Nevada has 3 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 4% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Elko County, Nevada?
The median home costs 2.7 times the median household income ($229,762 against $85,196), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,163 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Elko County, Nevada have a college degree?
15.8% of adults in Elko County, Nevada hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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