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Place dossier plate
SheetNV-WELLS-NV · Wells, NV 1,184 pop · income 57th 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 Wells
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Wells on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Pinon · lowest
42,847
Pinon · lowest
42,847 median HH income
28.7% of the leader · rank #1
North Brookfi… · near
75,956
North Brookfi… · near
75,956 median HH income
50.9% of the leader · rank #2
Wells · this city
75,962
Wells · this city
75,962 median HH income
50.9% of the leader · rank #3
Mandan · near
75,966
Mandan · near
75,966 median HH income
50.9% of the leader · rank #4
Waterford · near
75,968
Waterford · near
75,968 median HH income
50.9% of the leader · rank #5
Lake Almanor… · near
75,972
Lake Almanor… · near
75,972 median HH income
50.9% of the leader · rank #6
Bunkerville · highest
149,327
Bunkerville · highest
149,327 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
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Wells on ACS population and median household income
. 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: 1,184.
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Wells places in the 57th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.
57th
percentile, household income
47th
percentile, home value
67th
percentile, median rent
📝 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: Wells, NV
Nevada's Wells is a small town, with 1,184 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $75,962 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 11.5%. Typical homes in Wells are valued around $213,500, and the median resident age is 38.2 years. Educational attainment runs 10.4% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 64.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 1 residential building permits were authorized in Wells (Construction Slowdown), down 50% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. NOAA puts Wells's yearly average temperature at 44.8°F with 9.1 inches of precipitation per year.
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. Monthly utility costs average around $190 across Nevada, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. 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 Wells'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 climate and hazard context to schools and households to housing and income to population change to work and mobility to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Wells, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, local building permits, commute-mode shares, matched public-school count.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles, FBI reported-crime rates; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
What physical conditions frame life in Wells?
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 44.8°F, with 9.1 inches of precipitation. 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.
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.
The NCES join finds 4 public schools within the city match. 10.4% 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.
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.
How far does income reach against housing in Wells?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.8 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 11.5%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
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. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
Which cities make useful reference points for Wells?
Within Nevada, the closest population matches are Golden Valley (1,184 residents, $102,757 income); Pioche (1,213 residents, $76,194 income); Grass Valley (1,216 residents, $95,852 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Montgomery, IN (1,184 residents); Lyndon, KS (1,184 residents); Courtland, MS (1,184 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.
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.
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.
Population change
Is Wells growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +3 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +0.2% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 1 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+0.2%
2025 estimate
1,245
2020 estimate
1,242
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
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.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 76.9%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Public transit
0.3%
Work from home
6.1%
Drive alone
76.9%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 590 workers age 16+.
Above median income · poverty 11.5% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
100.0 (US=100)
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Nevada average
F
City profile score · Wells, NV
37/100
4 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 C
$75,962
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); 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.
Poverty rate F
11.5%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share F
10.4%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime N/A
N/A
No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).
Wells profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Household income: 55/100 (C) · $75,962
Cost of living: 40/100 (D) · 100.0 index
Poverty rate: 34/100 (F) · 11.5%
Bachelor's+ share: 8/100 (F) · 10.4%
How does Wells compare to other US cities?
Here's how Wells stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income57% higher than other cities
Home value47% pricier than other cities
Median rent67% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Wells 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 Wells near the bottom of Nevada's cities
Among the 111 Nevada cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Wells ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Wells only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#53 of 101
48th percentile in Nevada
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 111
0th percentile in Nevada
Median Home Value
#70 of 97
28th percentile in Nevada
Poverty Rate
#24 of 111
78th percentile in Nevada
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#95 of 111
14th 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
57th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How Wells's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$213,500Among the most affordablemore affordable than 53% 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
Wells's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.8×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#5,648 of 15,516
More affordable than 64% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#4,896 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 2.8×, Wells sits in the affordable band:
national rank #5,648 of 15,516 and #4,896 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
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
$75,962Wells, NV median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Wells, 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 Wells, NV.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)10.4%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)11.5%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)64.2%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
1,184
Median Income
$75,962
Median Home Value
$213,500
Median Age
38.2
Poverty Rate
11.5%
Labor force participation
64.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
10.4%
Climate
Avg Temperature
44.8°F
Annual Precipitation
9.1"
Annual Snowfall
N/A
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
Wells's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
1,242 residents
2021
1,245 residents
2022
1,249 residents
2023
1,250 residents
2024
1,249 residents
2025
1,245 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
1
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.8
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
2
2
0
$0.1M
2020
3
3
0
$0.3M
2021
5
5
0
$0.4M
2022
0
0
0
-
2023
0
0
0
-
2024
1
1
0
$0.3M
Permit volume decreased 50% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
76.9%
Carpool
14.4%
Public Transit
0.3%
Walk
1.9%
Work from Home
6.1%
Based on 590 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 Wells. 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 Wells 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 Wells sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Wells 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, 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.