Scores by category

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

Safety30#649/924
Economy87#124/925
Housing94#59/925
Health30#650/925
Healthcare5#874/923
Environment64#330/917
Education15#784/925
Infrastructure35#601/925
Community43#528/925
Leisure & amenities75#230/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Public transit commuters · high9.8%
100/100Nevada 2.2%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low4.8 µg/m³
95/100Nevada 6.4 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Rent as share of income · low23.7%
95/100Nevada 33.1%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Average weekly wage · high$1,470
95/100Nevada $1,342United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Child care cost burden · low20.3%
94/100Nevada 24.6%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Rent-burdened households · low37.7%
92/100Nevada 55.8%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070

Weaknesses

Distance to an emergency room · high34.0 mi
1/100Nevada 4.9 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
Distance to an airport · high179 mi
2/100Nevada 17 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Pharmacies · low0.5 /10k
3/100Nevada 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Firearm deaths · high31.0 /100k
3/100Nevada 16.8 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Social associations · low4.4 /10k
3/100Nevada 4.3 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Mammography screening · low33.8%
5/100Nevada 36.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureImproving
100% (2021) → 71% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−29 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Gyms and fitness centersImproving
0.5 /10k (2020) → 1.1 /10k (2025)
+96%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
64.8% (2010 & 2021) → 76.3% (2022 & 2024)
+11 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
New business applicationsImproving
6.6 /1k (2020) → 10.3 /1k (2025)
+57%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Property crime rateImproving
1,685 /100k (2020) → 748 /100k (2025)
−56%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
26.6% (2015-2019) → 37.7% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%

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, Elko, NV micropolitan area improved on 11 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 8. 8 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

Gyms+96%0.5 /10k → 1.1 /10k
Property crime−56%1,685 /100k → 748 /100k
Violent crime−31%426 /100k → 292 /100k
Child poverty−4.4 points15.7% → 11.3%
New businesses+57%6.6 /1k → 10.3 /1k

Declined8

Transit use−3.4 points13.2% → 9.8%
Rent burden+11 points26.6% → 37.7%
Inequality+0.0330.382 → 0.415
Overdose deaths+49%15.6 /100k → 23.1 /100k
Pharmacies−27%0.7 /10k → 0.5 /10k

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Elko, NV micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	6.5 /10k2020	6.4 /10k2025	−2%	Little change	25%
Average commute time	30.1 min2015-2019	29.2 min2020-2024	−0.9 min	Within the margin of error	85%
Average weekly wage	$1,2612020	$1,4702025	+17%	Improved	7%
Bachelor's degree or higher	16.3%2015-2019	17.8%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Within the margin of error	22%
Broadband subscriptions	84.2%2015-2019	89.3%2020-2024	+5.1 points	Improved	9%
Child poverty rate	15.7%2015-2019	11.3%2020-2024	−4.4 points	Improved	72%
Distance to an airport	179 mi2020	179 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	81%
Drug overdose deaths	15.6 /100k2020	23.1 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+49%	Declined	9%
Effective property tax rate	0.61%2015-2019	0.56%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Firearm deaths	30.6 /100k2020	31.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+1.2%	Little change	47%
Grocery stores	2.7 /10k2020	2.3 /10k2025	−15%	Declined	16%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.5 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	+96%	Improved	95%
High school diploma or higher	86.7%2015-2019	87.5%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	22%
Home price to income ratio	2.6×2015-2019	3.5×2020-2024	+0.9×	Declined	17%
Homicide rate	7.1 /100k2020	4.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−37%	Improved	64%
Income adjusted for local prices	$50,3552019	$61,9202024	+23%	Improved	4%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3822015-2019	0.4152020-2024	+0.033	Declined	5%
Median household income	$80,7252015-2019	$85,8822020-2024	+6.4%	Within the margin of error	1%
New business applications	6.6 /1k2020	10.3 /1k2025	+57%	Improved	66%
Pharmacies	0.7 /10k2020	0.5 /10k2025	−27%	Declined	11%
Poverty rate	11.6%2015-2019	10.3%2020-2024	−1.3 points	Within the margin of error	61%
Property crime rate	1,685 /100k2020	748 /100k2025	−56%	Improved	91%
Public libraries	1.6 /10k2019	1.6 /10k2024	−2.9%	Little change	39%
Public transit commuters	13.2%2015-2019	9.8%2020-2024	−3.4 points	Declined	3%
Rent as share of income	21.7%2015-2019	23.7%2020-2024	+2 points	Within the margin of error	21%
Rent-burdened households	26.6%2015-2019	37.7%2020-2024	+11 points	Declined	3%
Restaurants and bars	7.4 /10k2020	7.8 /10k2025	+5.1%	Improved	67%
Suicide rate	29.6 /100k2020	29.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−0.8%	Little change	63%
Traffic deaths	22.2 /100k2015-2019	28.6 /100k2020-2024	+29%	Declined	18%
Unemployment rate	5.8%2020	3.8%2025	−2 points	Improved	22%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	11.1%2015-2019	10.3%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Within the margin of error	67%
Violent crime rate	426 /100k2020	292 /100k2025	−31%	Improved	77%

“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 Elko, NV micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Elko, NV micropolitan 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, Elko, NV micropolitan 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

55,632 residents (±258)

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

20,249 households (±377)

Elko, NV micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k13%2,569
$25k–50k18%3,591
$50k–75k15%3,043

Homes

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

Owners and renters

20,249 households (±377)

Elko, NV micropolitan area
United States share

Own72%14,520
Rent28%5,729

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

26,792 workers (±893)

Elko, NV micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone63%16,926
Carpool17%4,449
Public transit9.8%2,636

Jobs and pay

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

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Elko, NV micropolitan area.

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.

Elko, NV has 1,226 employer establishments, 217 for every 10,000 residents (0.87× the US rate of 248), with 23,105 paid employees at an average annual pay of $70,379. The Census Bureau also counts 3,075 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,226; 3,075 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 217; US 248
Paid employees: 23,105
Average annual pay: $70,379; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	101	17.9	0.86×About typical	866	$60,042	90
Restaurants and other eating places	90	15.9	0.87×About typical	1,280	$25,239	21
Specialty trade contractors	68	12	0.78×Fewer than typical	1,204	$97,218	130
Lessors of real estate	49	8.7	0.70×Fewer than typical	249	$37,213	358
Traveler accommodation	45	8	4.42×More than typical	3,652	$40,320	21
Limited-service restaurants	42	7.4	0.93×About typical	671	$22,864	11
Architectural, engineering and related services	36	6.4	1.83×More than typical	357	$65,504	30
Services to buildings and dwellings	35	6.2	0.92×About typical	180	$44,578	172
Offices of other health practitioners	34	6	0.99×About typical	209	$43,139	53
Automotive repair and maintenance	33	5.8	1.16×About typical	156	$61,968	65
Full-service restaurants	32	5.7	0.74×Fewer than typical	499	$29,804	3
Construction of buildings	30	5.3	0.70×Fewer than typical	324	$82,713	74

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 56,470 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 $15.8M on contracts performed in Elko, NV micropolitan area: $279 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $15.8M; +50% vs FY2025
Per resident: $279; US $1,994
Sole-source: 5.2%; US 30%
Single offer: 13%; 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

Bureau of Land Management$5.1M32%
Federal Highway Administration$4M25%
Departmental Offices$2.2M14%
Forest Service$1.3M8.5%
Indian Health Service$1M6.5%
Department of Veterans Affairs$933.4K5.9%
Defense Logistics Agency$713K4.5%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$220.1K1.4%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

12.9MFY2017
13.1MFY2018
10.3MFY2019
14.4MFY2020
9MFY2021
8.1MFY2022
21.7MFY2023
16.6M

Top industries (NAICS)

Support activities for forestry · 1153$5.4M34%
Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$3.4M22%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$1.1M7.1%
Other electrical equipment and component manufacturing · 3359$752.5K4.8%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$648.1K4.1%
Residential intellectual, developmental, mental health, and substance abuse facilities · 6232

Largest awards

NEW CONSTRUCTION CEMETERY$9.8M
R.T CONTRACTOR CORP.· Elko County, NV· Construction & real property· Sep 29, 2023 – May 4, 2026· 36C78623C0050
NV FTBL 1094(1) WILSON CAMPGROUND ROAD AWARD OF A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR ROAD RESURFACING, DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS, SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, AND MINOR BRIDGE REPAIR.$3.4M
YORKSHIRE INDUSTRIES LLC· Elko County, NV· Construction & real property· Jan 30, 2026 – Jan 30, 2026· 6982AF26C000010
EU AIR ATTACK CONTRACT USWFS FOR ELKO, NEVADA$1.8M
NEPTUNE AVIATION SERVICES, INC.· Elko County, NV· Facilities & utilities· May 19, 2026 – Sep 8, 2026· 140D0426F0542
BIG SKY MOBILE CATERING CORP NVEKD010319 E21

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 $350.2M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Elko, NV micropolitan area: $6,178 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $350.2M; −8.5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,178; US $12,955
Loan face value: $21.5M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 1.7%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$153.6M44%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$45M13%
20.314 · Railroad Development$28M8.0%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$24.1M6.9%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$18.8M5.4%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$15.5M4.4%
14.867 · Indian Housing Block Grants$5.2M1.5%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$4.6M1.3%

Top recipients (organizations)

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NEVADA$53.8M15%
CARSON CITY, NV
NV DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$28M8.0%
CARSON CITY, NV
SHOSHONE-PAIUTE TRIBES$8.8M2.5%
OWYHEE, NV
NEVADA SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION$4.2M1.2%
ELKO, NV
DUCK VALLEY HOUSING AUTHORITY$3.5M

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$192.4M55%
Federal Highway Administration$55.6M16%
Department of Transportation
Federal Railroad Administration$28M8.0%
Department of Transportation
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$26.3M7.5%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education

Assistance by fiscal year

258.9MFY2021
312.1MFY2022
256MFY2023
326.7MFY2024
382.9MFY2025
350.2MFY2026

County aggregates

64%

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 Elko, 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.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

ElkoPrincipal city20,696

Largest cities and towns

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

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

JSON · /api/v1/places/M21220

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved11

Declined8

Metro and micro areas like Elko, NV micropolitan 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 Elko, 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

Declined8

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

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