Lyon County vs Washoe County
Lyon County, Nevada versus Washoe County, Nevada: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Lyon County and Washoe County score about the same overall (45 vs 42 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Lyon County | Washoe County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $70k | $82k |
| Cost of Living | $52k | $51k |
| Home Value | $314k | $460k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $18k | $113k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.48% | 0.48% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.24% | 8.24% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 4.85% | 5.41% |
| Unemployment | 7.2% | 5.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 34°F | 34°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 72°F | 76°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 4.6 in | 7.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 3.2 in | 7.7 in |
| Sunny Days | 253 days | 264 days |
| Summer Humidity | 39°F | 37°F |
| Comfortable Days | 23 days | 31 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 71.4 | 96.7 |
| Air Quality | 41 AQI | 50 AQI |
| School Quality | 41.5 | 50.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1436/100k | 1818/100k |
| Property Crime | 808/100k | 2108/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 59,435 | 486,674 |
| Median Age | 43.2 | 38.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.37 | 0.51 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.08 | 1.03 |
| Political Leaning | R+42 | Even |
| White (%) | 72.0% | 60.5% |
| Black (%) | 0.8% | 2.3% |
| Hispanic (%) | 18.9% | 25.5% |
| Asian (%) | 1.4% | 5.2% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 6.9% | 6.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 30 min | 22 min |
| Walkability | 5.3/20 | 10.0/20 |
| Airport Distance | 130 mi | 168 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.5% | 89.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Lyon County or Washoe County more affordable?
- Washoe County has the lower cost of living: its index is $51k, compared with Lyon County's $52k and Washoe County's $51k. Median rent is $1k in Lyon County versus $1k in Washoe County.
- Is Lyon County or Washoe County safer?
- Lyon County has the lower violent crime rate. Lyon County reports 1436/100k and Washoe County reports 1818/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Lyon County or Washoe County?
- The median home value is $314k in Lyon County and $460k in Washoe County, so homes are more affordable in Lyon County.