Esmeralda County, Nevada Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Esmeralda 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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N/A
Health Not enough data
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D
Income Well below averageAmong the 3 least wealthy counties in Nevada
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Esmeralda County | Nevada Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,028 | 3,183,702 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 0.3 | 28.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.34% | 1.46% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 55.2 | 37.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 503 | 1,202,222 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Esmeralda County grew by 21.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 1,028 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Esmeralda County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 33.9% of residents. That is 17.4 points above Nevada as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 106 10.3% -10.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 181 17.6% -5.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 246 24.0% +3.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 348 33.9% +17.4 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 49.1% of the people living in Esmeralda County and men 50.9%.
- Women 49.1% Nevada 49.6%
- Men 50.9% Nevada 50.4%
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Economy
Esmeralda County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Esmeralda County | Nevada Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $42,782 | $78,637 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 1.06% | 4.94% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.0% | 6.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Esmeralda County is about 46% lower than in Nevada.
Housing
| Metric | Esmeralda County | Nevada Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $297,499 | $357,758 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,320 | $1,597 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 60.8% | 60.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Esmeralda County is about 18.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,320 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Esmeralda County spend about 15 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 62 hours, about 2.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Esmeralda County | Nevada Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 7.5 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 15.0 | 44.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 62 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $1,931 | $5,797 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 16.8% | 11.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,195 | 6,563 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 62 | 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 Esmeralda County is 7 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
Esmeralda County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Esmeralda County | Nevada Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.0% | 24.4% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.03 | 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
| Metric | Esmeralda County | Nevada Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | — | 78.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.6% | 17.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.2% | 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).
Esmeralda County, NV Compared With Nearby Counties
How Esmeralda County, NV compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Esmeralda County, NV | 1,028 | $42,782 #3/3 | $297,499 #3/3 | 7.5 min #1/3 |
| Nye County, NV | 54,344 | $60,588 | $301,152 | 16.7 min |
| Churchill County, NV | 25,797 | $78,987 | $350,315 | 16.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Esmeralda County, Nevada.
What is the population of Esmeralda County, Nevada?
About 1,028 people live in Esmeralda County, Nevada, in 503 households of 2.0 people on average. The median age is 55.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 18 years.
Is Esmeralda County, Nevada urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Esmeralda County, Nevada has 0 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 0% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Esmeralda County, Nevada an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 7.0 times the median household income ($297,499 against $42,782), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,320 a month takes about 37% of the median household's income, above the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Esmeralda County, Nevada?
Unemployment in Esmeralda County, Nevada is only 1.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Esmeralda County, Nevada?
24.0% of adults in Esmeralda County, Nevada hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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