Washoe County, Nevada Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Washoe 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.
-
B
Health Around averageHealthiest county in Nevada
-
B
Income Around average
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C
Education Below averageAmong the top 3 best educated counties in Nevada
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Washoe County | Nevada Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 497,175 | 3,183,702 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 76.0 | 28.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.54% | 1.46% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.3 | 37.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 199,286 | 1,202,222 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Washoe County grew by 22.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 497,175 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Washoe County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 22.0% of residents. That is 1.0 points below Nevada as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 108,307 21.8% +0.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 109,600 22.0% -1.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 100,259 20.2% -0.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 85,605 17.2% +0.8 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 49.2% of the people living in Washoe County and men 50.8%.
- Women 49.2% Nevada 49.6%
- Men 50.8% Nevada 50.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Washoe County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Washoe County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Washoe County | Nevada Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $88,504 | $78,637 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.10% | 4.94% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 6.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Washoe County is about 13% higher than in Nevada.
Housing
| Metric | Washoe County | Nevada Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $454,484 | $357,758 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,607 | $1,597 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 59.9% | 60.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Washoe County is about 23.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,607 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Washoe County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 170 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Washoe County | Nevada Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.4 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.7 | 44.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 170 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,260 | $5,797 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.6% | 11.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,753 | 6,563 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,568 | 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 Washoe County is 20 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
Washoe County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Washoe County | Nevada Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.0% | 24.4% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.46 | 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
Washoe County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Washoe County | Nevada Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.2 | 78.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.0% | 17.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.4% | 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).
Washoe County, NV Compared With Nearby Counties
How Washoe County, NV compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washoe County, NV | 497,175 | $88,504 #1/2 | $454,484 #1/2 | 20.4 min #2/2 |
| Lassen County, CA | 30,356 | $67,791 | $225,766 | 16.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Washoe County, Nevada.
How big is Washoe County, Nevada by population?
About 497,175 people live in Washoe County, Nevada, in 199,286 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 37.3, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Washoe County, Nevada?
Averaged over its land area, Washoe County, Nevada has 76 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Washoe County, Nevada?
The median home costs 5.1 times the median household income ($454,484 against $88,504), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,607 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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