A town of about 110,024 people in Washoe County, part of the Reno area. Resident comments and photos are about Sparks; job numbers cover the wider area.
What kind of place it is
Lively, Outdoorsy, Big-city feel
Scored the same way as the quiz, against 382 U.S. metro areas. A feel is listed when Sparks scores 70 or higher out of 100.
Lively
87 / 100
Lively: about 97 bars, music venues and restaurants per 100,000 people
Outdoorsy
85 / 100
Outdoorsy: more trails, campgrounds and paddling spots than most
Big-city feel
73 / 100
Big-city feel: 476,000 people in the metro, 7 buildings 20+ stories, 144 bus and train stops
Less so: cozy.
Want to know how Sparks fits you? The 3-minute quiz checks it against what you want.
Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.
Of about 16,217 rented homes in Sparks, 72% rent for under $2,000 a month and 96% for under $3,000.
Under $1,000: 12%
$1,000 to $1,499: 29%
$1,500 to $1,999: 31%
$2,000 to $2,499: 20%
$2,500 to $2,999: 4%
$3,000 or more: 4%
Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.
What moving costs
Hiring movers
Average cost: $1,946
From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.
Moving in as a renter
The middle rented home in Sparks rents for $1,500 to $1,999 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about $3,000 to $3,998 for first month plus a deposit, or up to $4,500 to $5,997 where landlords also ask for last month.
Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For $1,500 to $1,999, that's a yearly income of about $54,000 to $71,964.
Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.
Moving to Nevada: before and after
Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Nevada DMV.
Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.
Schools
2 public school districts in this county, with about 65,153 students in all. The county also has 18 public charter schools and 23 private schools. Which public school serves a home depends on its address.
Public Public charter Private District that covers the center of Sparks: Washoe County School District
District lines: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024. Tap a dot for details. A home's assigned school depends on its address; check with the district before you buy or rent.
Closest public schools to the center of Sparks
Elementary
Bud Beasley Elementary0.6 mi
Public
grades Pre-K to 5 · 626 students · 20.2 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 64%, math 60% (state: reading 44%, math 28%)
Jerry Whitehead Elementary0.7 mi
Public
grades K to 5 · 230 students · 13.5 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 45 to 49%, math 20 to 24% (state: reading 44%, math 28%)
Miguel Sepulveda Elementary School1.1 mi
Public
grades Pre-K to 5 · 551 students · 19 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 45%, math 42% (state: reading 44%, math 28%)
Middle
Lou Mendive Middle School1.6 mi
Public
grades 6 to 8 · 902 students · 23.7 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 41%, math 22% (state: reading 44%, math 28%)
Sky Ranch Middle School2.5 mi
Public
grades 6 to 8 · 1,339 students · 25.8 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 61%, math 42% (state: reading 44%, math 28%)
George L. Dilworth S.T.E.M Academy2.8 mi
Public
grades 6 to 8 · 598 students · 17.6 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 24%, math 13% (state: reading 44%, math 28%)
High school
Edward C. Reed High School1.2 mi
Public
grades 9 to 12 · 2,119 students · 25.8 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 56%, math 27% (state: reading 44%, math 28%)
Alpine Academy High School2.4 mi
Public charter
grades 9 to 12 · 157 students · 31.4 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 21 to 39%, math 20% or less (state: reading 44%, math 28%)
Procter R. Hug High School2.9 mi
Public
grades 9 to 12 · 2,091 students · 22.7 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 21%, math 9% (state: reading 44%, math 28%)
Private
Imagination Station0.4 mi
Private
grades K to 2 · 32 students · 8 per teacher
Pebbles Preschool and Kindergarten0.5 mi
Private
grades Pre-K to K · 11 students · 11 per teacher
Excel Christian School1.5 mi
Private
grades Pre-K to 12 · 204 students · 9.4 per teacher
Straight-line miles from the center of Sparks, nearest first. Being closest doesn't mean a school serves a given home. "Passed the state test" is the share of students who scored proficient or better on Nevada's own reading and math tests in the 2021-22 school year, the latest year the U.S. Department of Education has published for every school. Each state sets its own test and passing bar, so compare schools within the same state, not across states. Test results track family income closely and leave out a lot (teachers, programs, how a school fits your child). For newer results, see the state's school report card.
163 students · 14.8 students per teacher · 1 school · grades 5 to 12
School choice and pre-K in Nevada
Going to school in another district
Some districts must accept students from other districts (for example, from struggling schools), and others choose whether to. Ask the district you'd like.
Picking a different school in your district
State law doesn't set a rule for switching schools within a district; it's up to each district.
Free state pre-K
10% of 4-year-olds and 2% of 3-year-olds in Nevada attend state-funded pre-K (U.S.: 37% and 9%). Spots, hours and who qualifies vary by district.
School choice: state law as summarized by the Education Commission of the States, 50-State Comparison: Open Enrollment Policies (2022). Pre-K: share of children in state-funded pre-K, National Institute for Early Education Research, State of Preschool 2025 Yearbook (2024-25 school year).
NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Private schools: NCES Private School Survey, 2021-22. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For programs and newer results, see each district's site and the state's school report card.
Childcare and colleges
Daycare and preschool
Nevada keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.
Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
Age
Daycare center
Home daycare
Infant (under 2)
$257/week
about $13,400 a year
$182/week
about $9,500 a year
Toddler (2)
$230/week
about $12,000 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)
$211/week
about $11,000 a year
$172/week
about $8,900 a year
School-age
$181/week
about $9,400 a year
For an infant at a center: $257/week here, $262 across NV, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 13% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.
U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Public, 4-year · 10,006 students · $3,144 in-state, $11,243 out-of-state
Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.
IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.
The facts behind it
Typical home value
$569,662
What a typical home sells for across the Reno area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, September 2026
Cost of living
About 1% above the U.S. average
Everyday prices (rent, groceries, services) run about $101 here for what costs $100 nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index 101 (U.S. = 100), 2024
Drive to the nearest big job hub
About 7 min at rush hour
To downtown Reno, NV, 4 miles. About 7 min with no traffic.
Source: Google traffic estimate for a weekday morning around 8am
Average commute
23 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Data centers nearby
15 within 15 miles
The nearest is about 11.1 miles from the town center. The largest is about 629,000 sq ft.
Source: PNNL IM3 Data Center Atlas, from OpenStreetMap (ODbL), loaded July 2026
Homeowners insurance
About $1,774 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in NV. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively High
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Relatively Low
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
3 within 5 miles
Hospitals mapped within 5 miles of the center. Emergency and specialty care vary, so check which ones fit your needs.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
36.7 per 100,000 people a year
186 deaths in the 12 months ending March 2026. NV average: 37.4 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 34.5 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 1,752 people without housing in the Reno, Sparks/Washoe County area: 1,389 in shelters and 363 outside, down from 1,760 in 2024. NV: 30.3 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Unemployment
4.4%
The share of people looking for work who can't find it, averaged over the year. U.S.: about 4%.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025
Median household income
$85,600
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
0.46% of home value a year
About $460 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
No state income tax
NV's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
