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Place dossier plate
SheetNV-SPARKS-NV · Sparks, NV 109,106 pop · income 68th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Sparks
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Sparks on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Ponce zona ur… · lowest
18,650
Ponce zona ur… · lowest
18,650 median HH income
13.6% of the leader · rank #1
Hebron · near
86,964
Hebron · near
86,964 median HH income
63.2% of the leader · rank #2
Shamrock Lakes · near
86,964
Shamrock Lakes · near
86,964 median HH income
63.2% of the leader · rank #3
Rio Vista · near
86,970
Rio Vista · near
86,970 median HH income
63.2% of the leader · rank #4
North Windham · near
86,972
North Windham · near
86,972 median HH income
63.2% of the leader · rank #5
Sparks · this city
86,979
Sparks · this city
86,979 median HH income
63.3% of the leader · rank #6
Sugar Land · highest
137,511
Sugar Land · highest
137,511 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Sparks on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 109,106.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Sparks - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Sparks places in the 68th percentile for household income and the 16th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
68th
percentile, household income
82nd
percentile, home value
67th
percentile, median rent
16th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Sparks, NV
109,106 people live in Sparks, Nevada - a mid-sized U.S. city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Sparks households earn a median of $86,979 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 5.9%. Typical homes in Sparks are valued around $455,900, and the median resident age is 36.9 years. 26.3% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 64.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 805 residential building permits were authorized in Sparks (Construction Slowdown), down 40% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Sparks's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 2978.2 in FBI UCR data, above the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 53.5°F with 8.4 inches of precipitation per year and 6.8 inches of snowfall.
Nevada tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: the state registers 100.0 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,428 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Nevada run around $190, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Sparks report an average commute of 20.9 minutes, with 73.0% driving alone and 9.5% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 46.2 out of 100 (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Sparks's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from work and mobility to housing and income to climate and hazard context to comparison shortlist to reported crime to schools and households to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Sparks, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates, local building permits, annual population history, matched public-school count.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
What does the journey to work look like in Sparks?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 73.0%. The reported mean trip to work is 20.9 minutes.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
How far does income reach against housing in Sparks?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 5.2 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 5.9%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 53.5°F, with 8.4 inches of precipitation and 6.8 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Nevada is 46.2 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
Which cities make useful reference points for Sparks?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Nevada, the closest population matches are Carson (58,364 residents, $71,809 income); Whitney (46,268 residents, $63,480 income); Pahrump (45,811 residents, $58,560 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are South Fulton, GA (109,157 residents); Greeley, CO (109,421 residents); Sugar Land, TX (109,735 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in Sparks?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2978.2 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 31% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
2978.2
Violent rate
394.4
Property rate
2583.8
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 4 public schools within the city match. 26.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
Poverty estimate
5.9%
Bachelor's degree+
26.3%
Matched public schools
4
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +3,018 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +2.8% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 805 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
2020 estimate
108,884
2025 estimate
111,902
Period change
+2.8%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Above median income · poverty 5.9% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
100.0 (US=100)
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Nevada average
D
City profile score · Sparks, NV
49/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Household income B-
$86,979
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate C+
5.9%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share C-
26.3%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Cost of living D
100.0 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Violent crime F
394 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Sparks profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Household income: 66/100 (B-) · $86,979
Poverty rate: 60/100 (C+) · 5.9%
Bachelor's+ share: 52/100 (C-) · 26.3%
Cost of living: 40/100 (D) · 100.0 index
Violent crime: 23/100 (F) · 394 /100k
Where Sparks sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Sparks's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Sparks highlighted among 25 peers.Read the chart values
Sparks, NV (this city): home $455,900, crime 2,978/100k
South Fulton, GA : home $270,600, crime 2,378/100k
Greeley, CO : home $369,600, crime 3,690/100k
Sugar Land, TX : home $406,600, crime 1,462/100k
Santa Maria, CA : home $478,200, crime 2,543/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
How does Sparks compare to other US cities?
Where Sparks sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income68% higher than other cities
Home value82% pricier than other cities
Median rent67% pricier than other cities
Safety16% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Nevada alone, Sparks ranks #10 of 10 Nevada cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Sparks against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Nevada only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Nevada-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Sparks near the bottom of Nevada's cities
Among the 111 Nevada cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Sparks ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Sparks only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#39 of 101
61st percentile in Nevada
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 111
0th percentile in Nevada
Median Home Value
#32 of 97
67th percentile in Nevada
Poverty Rate
#48 of 111
56th percentile in Nevada
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#38 of 111
66th percentile in Nevada
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Nevada only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
68th percentile nationally for median household income · 16th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Sparks's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Sparks's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Sparks's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$455,90018th percentilemore affordable than 18% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Sparks's home-value-to-income ratio: 5.2×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#13,243 of 15,516
More affordable than 15% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#480 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 5.2×, Sparks sits in the pressured band:
national rank #13,243 of 15,516 and #480 of 750mid-size cities (50,000–199,999).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$86,979Sparks, NV median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Sparks, NV median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Sparks, NV.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)26.3%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)5.9%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)64.3%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
109,106
Median Income
$86,979
Median Home Value
$455,900
Median Age
36.9
Poverty Rate
5.9%
Labor force participation
64.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
26.3%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2978.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
394.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2583.8
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
53.5°F
Annual Precipitation
8.4"
Annual Snowfall
6.8"
Schools
Total Schools
4
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Sparks's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
108,884 residents
2021
109,720 residents
2022
109,181 residents
2023
110,639 residents
2024
111,101 residents
2025
111,902 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
805
housing units authorized
Single-Family
612
detached homes
Multifamily
193
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
7.4
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
1,338
376
962
$207.3M
2020
656
656
0
$157.6M
2021
676
595
81
$158.9M
2022
1,541
448
1,093
$245.9M
2023
516
413
103
$121.0M
2024
805
612
193
$187.2M
Permit volume decreased 40% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
20.9 minutes
Drive Alone
73.0%
Carpool
12.8%
Public Transit
2.0%
Walk
1.3%
Work from Home
9.5%
Other
1.4%
Based on 55,122 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Nevada statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $190
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Nevada at $190 (electricity about $105 , water and sewer about $55 ).
These are Nevada statewide averages, not a meter reading for Sparks. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Nevada's BEA cost-of-living index is 100.0 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Sparks is $1,428/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Nevada statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 46.2 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Nevada statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Sparks sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Sparks compares to similar-size Nevada cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.