Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety41#546/924
Economy79#192/925
Housing18#758/925
Health41#546/925
Healthcare55#418/923
Environment89#104/917
Education42#541/925
Infrastructure92#75/925
Community41#548/925
Leisure & amenities89#105/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Carson City, NV metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Access to exercise opportunities · high98.8%
99/100Nevada 91.4%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high8.4 /10k
93/100Nevada 7.4 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Dentists · high91 /100k
92/100Nevada 67 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Average weekly wage · high$1,395
91/100Nevada $1,342United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
New homes permitted · high7.7 /1k
90/100Nevada 4.5 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Effective property tax rate · low0.46%
89/100Nevada 0.50%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090

Weaknesses

Suicide rate · high37.9 /100k
1/100Nevada 20.5 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Public libraries · low0.2 /10k
2/100Nevada 0.3 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Cost of buying a home today · high55.7%
3/100Nevada 37.7%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
Firearm deaths · high31.0 /100k
3/100Nevada 16.8 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Home price to income ratio · high6.3×
5/100Nevada 5.6×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Loneliness · high37.3%
13/100Nevada 37.7%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureImproving
100% (2021) → 15% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−85 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
39.2% (Dec 2021) → 55.6% (Aug 2026)
+16 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
Gyms and fitness centersImproving
1.0 /10k (2020) → 1.5 /10k (2025)
+50%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
High ozone daysImproving
2 days (2017) → 1 days (2022)
−50%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
New homes permittedImproving
5.2 /1k (2021) → 7.7 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+48%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
82.4% (2015-2019) → 91.5% (2020-2024)
+9.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Carson City, NV metro area improved on 11 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 7. 9 moved within the margin of error and 5 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved11

Weekly wage+31%$1,064 → $1,395
Gyms+50%1.0 /10k → 1.5 /10k
Real income+37%$50,716 → $69,373
Unemployment−3.8 points8.0% → 4.2%
Household income+30%$55,718 → $72,355

Declined7

Firearm deaths+82%17.0 /100k → 31.0 /100k
Price / income+1.3×4.9× → 6.3×
Traffic deaths+38%6.9 /100k → 9.6 /100k
Overdose deaths+18%15.1 /100k → 17.8 /100k
Rent / income+2.6 points27.3% → 29.9%

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Carson City, NV metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	7.3 /10k2020	8.4 /10k2025	+14%	Improved	64%
Average commute time	20.2 min2015-2019	20.5 min2020-2024	+0.3 min	Within the margin of error	54%
Average weekly wage	$1,0642020	$1,3952025	+31%	Improved	95%
Bachelor's degree or higher	22.2%2015-2019	23.7%2020-2024	+1.6 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Broadband subscriptions	82.4%2015-2019	91.5%2020-2024	+9.2 points	Improved	53%
Child poverty rate	16.8%2015-2019	13.2%2020-2024	−3.6 points	Within the margin of error	65%
Distance to an airport	23 mi2020	23 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	15.1 /100k2020	17.8 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+18%	Declined	18%
Effective property tax rate	0.57%2015-2019	0.46%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	46%
Firearm deaths	17.0 /100k2020	31.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+82%	Declined	4%
Grocery stores	1.4 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	+0.2%	Little change	52%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.0 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	+50%	Improved	88%
High school diploma or higher	87.0%2015-2019	89.2%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Within the margin of error	65%
Home price to income ratio	4.9×2015-2019	6.3×2020-2024	+1.3×	Declined	5%
Homicide rate	4.1 /100k2020	3.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−27%	Improved	51%
Income adjusted for local prices	$50,7162019	$69,3732024	+37%	Improved	80%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4542015-2019	0.4532020-2024	−0.001	Within the margin of error	58%
Median household income	$55,7182015-2019	$72,3552020-2024	+30%	Improved	65%
New business applications	12.6 /1k2020	17.4 /1k2025	+38%	Improved	38%
Pharmacies	1.7 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	−9.8%	Declined	47%
Poverty rate	11.3%2015-2019	10.3%2020-2024	−1 points	Within the margin of error	51%
Property crime rate	1,150 /100k2020	811 /100k2025	−30%	Improved	41%
Public libraries	0.2 /10k2019	0.2 /10k2024	−4.1%	Little change	28%
Public transit commuters	0.8%2015-2019	1.3%2020-2024	+0.6 points	Within the margin of error	98%
Rent as share of income	27.3%2015-2019	29.9%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Declined	15%
Rent-burdened households	43.1%2015-2019	49.6%2020-2024	+6.5 points	Within the margin of error	11%
Restaurants and bars	11.9 /10k2020	12.3 /10k2025	+3.1%	Little change	59%
Suicide rate	35.8 /100k2020	37.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+5.9%	Declined	46%
Traffic deaths	6.9 /100k2015-2019	9.6 /100k2020-2024	+38%	Declined	12%
Unemployment rate	8.0%2020	4.2%2025	−3.8 points	Improved	74%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	12.8%2015-2019	14.0%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Within the margin of error	18%
Violent crime rate	396 /100k2020	372 /100k2025	−6.3%	Improved	35%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Carson City, NV metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Carson City, NV metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Carson City, NV metro area itself moved −2.6 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

58,384 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

23,692 households (±385)

Carson City, NV metro area
United States share

Under $25k13%3,076
$25k–50k20%4,781
$50k–75k19%4,531

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

23,692 households (±385)

Carson City, NV metro area
United States share

Own62%14,769
Rent38%8,923

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+5.6 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

26,299 workers (±674)

Carson City, NV metro area
United States share

Drive alone71%18,569
Carpool15%3,852
Public transit1.4%†355

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Carson City, NV employ 6,980 people. 5 pay a median above the US median and 5 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Carson City, NV by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive960 jobs	960	$49,270US $47,540	+4%	2.73×
General and Operations Managers890 jobs	890

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Carson City, NV has 1,962 employer establishments, 336 for every 10,000 residents (1.35× the US rate of 248), with 22,826 paid employees at an average annual pay of $57,749. The Census Bureau also counts 4,994 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,962; 4,994 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 336; US 248
Paid employees: 22,826
Average annual pay: $57,749; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Carson City, NV by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	191	32.7	1.57×More than typical	1,695	$87,526	227
Restaurants and other eating places	129	22.1	1.20×About typical	2,326	$24,668	17
Specialty trade contractors	123	21.1	1.36×More than typical	846	$63,982	198
Lessors of real estate	88	15.1	1.22×About typical	494	$52,417	786
Construction of buildings	72	12.3	1.63×More than typical	347	$73,553	98
Services to buildings and dwellings	72	12.3	1.83×More than typical	268	$57,112	318
Management, scientific and technical consulting	69	11.8	1.76×More than typical	247	$61,510	229
Full-service restaurants	66	11.3	1.47×More than typical	1,220	$28,642	10
Offices of other health practitioners	53	9.1	1.49×More than typical	190	$49,874	137
Offices of physicians	50	8.6	1.32×More than typical	674	$122,639	49
Limited-service restaurants	48	8.2	1.03×About typical	834	$19,647	4
Automotive repair and maintenance	46	7.9	1.57×More than typical	297	$49,933	48

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 58,367 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $22.4M on contracts performed in Carson City, NV metro area: $382 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $22.4M; −26% vs FY2025
Per resident: $382; US $1,994
Sole-source: 50%; US 30%
Single offer: 11%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of Veterans Affairs$10.2M46%
Defense Logistics Agency$5.3M24%
Forest Service$1.8M8.0%
Bureau of Reclamation$1.7M7.4%
Bureau of Land Management$1.2M5.2%
Social Security Administration$457.1K2.0%
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention$326.6K1.5%
Department of the Army$279K1.2%

Top recipients

FIDELIS SUSTAINABILITY DISTRIBUTION LLC$14.7M66%
STANTEC CONSULTING SERVICES INC.$1.3M5.8%
NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES$1M4.5%
HOUSTONS TRAIL'S END, INC.$683K3.1%
COVENANT CARE CARSON LLC$491.5K2.2%

Spending by fiscal year

17.4MFY2017
30.2MFY2018
17.4MFY2019
20.2MFY2020
34.4MFY2021
26.7MFY2022
34.5MFY2023
35.6M

Top industries (NAICS)

Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$8.8M39%
Professional and commercial equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers · 4234$5M23%
Support activities for forestry · 1153$1.7M7.8%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$1.3M5.7%
Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing · 3391$942.7K4.2%
Special food services · 7223

Largest awards

LAHONTAN BASIN AREA OFFICE (LBAO) TAHOE DAM REPLACEMENT FEASIBILITY STUDY$6.7M
STANTEC CONSULTING SERVICES INC.· Carson City, NV· Construction & real property· Sep 19, 2023 – May 22, 2026· 140R2023F0098
PROCUREMENT EFFORT TO BUY TWO (2) ENGINE SETS WORTH OF NON-OEM LM2500 SINGLE CRYSTAL, SINGLE-SHANK TURBINE, HIGH-PRESSURE TURBINE MATERIAL$2.1M
CHROMALLOY GAS TURBINE LLC· Carson City, NV· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Jul 30, 2025 – Oct 22, 2025· N6449825P2032
EXPRESS REPORT: NX ORDERS PLACED DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH 2026$2.1M
FIDELIS SUSTAINABILITY DISTRIBUTION LLC· Carson City, NV· Health & medical· Apr 14, 2026 – Apr 14, 2026· 36C10X26K0181

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $431.6M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Carson City, NV metro area: $7,368 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $431.6M; +3.9% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,368; US $12,955
Loan face value: $88M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$270.6M63%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$42.2M9.8%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$21.8M5.0%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$19.8M4.6%
15.235 · Southern Nevada Public Land Management$17.7M4.1%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$13.8M3.2%
93.224 · Health Center Program$13.1M3.0%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$6.5M1.5%

Top recipients (organizations)

CARSON CITY, NEVADA$18M4.2%
CARSON CITY, NV
NV ST RURAL HOUSING AUTHORITY$14.5M3.4%
CARSON CITY, NV
NEVADA HEALTH CENTERS, INC.$14.2M3.3%
CARSON CITY, NV
NEVADA SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION$5.4M1.3%
CARSON CITY, NV
NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES$4.7M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$318.6M74%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$47.4M11%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Bureau of Land Management$17.9M4.1%
Department of the Interior
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$14.4M3.3%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Health Resources and Services Administration

Assistance by fiscal year

369.4MFY2021
349.4MFY2022
363.8MFY2023
392MFY2024
415.5MFY2025
431.6MFY2026

County aggregates

85%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Carson City, NV

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Carson CityCentral county5558,571

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Carson CityPrincipal city58,384

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Carson City58,384

Other metro and micro areas in Nevada

Areas based in Nevada, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M16180

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved11

Declined7

Metro and micro areas like Carson City, NV metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Carson City, NV

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Nevada

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved11

Declined7

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought