Reno cost of living
Prices in the Reno, NV metro area run at 101.0 against a national average of 100, ranking it #68 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 123.5.
What drives the number
Reno sits at 101.0, which is as close to the national average as this series gets. That makes it a useful reference point: a salary quoted here means roughly what the same salary means nationally. Against Nevada as a whole it is 1 point more expensive, which is the usual direction: cities cost more than the states around them.
Housing is doing nearly all of the work. Rents sit at 123.5 while goods sit at 96.3, a gap of 22.5 points between what it costs to live somewhere and what it costs to buy things. Someone who could reduce their housing cost here, by living further out or with fewer rooms, would remove most of the premium.
Comparing a job here against one elsewhere on the headline salary alone will mislead by roughly 1 per cent. Adjusting by the parity fixes that.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Reno is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 10,920 | $42,420 | $42,000 | $38,940 |
| General and Operations Managers | 8,150 | $102,320 | $101,307 | $102,950 |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 7,790 | $47,510 | $47,040 | $42,210 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 6,580 | $31,300 | $30,990 | $30,480 |
| Retail Salespersons | 6,540 | $35,460 | $35,109 | $34,580 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 6,520 | $40,090 | $39,693 | $37,090 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 5,260 | $62,530 | $61,911 | $57,440 |
| Cashiers | 4,930 | $30,480 | $30,178 | $31,190 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 101.0.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas | 100.2 | 115.5 | #86 |
| Carson City | 98.1 | 101.2 | #113 |
Reno: common questions
Is Reno expensive?
Prices are 1% above the national average, a parity of 101.0 where the country is 100. It ranks #68 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Nevada as a whole it is 1 point more expensive.
What salary do you need in Reno?
The median worker there earns $48,970, which buys what $48,485 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 123.5 against goods at 96.3. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.