Greater Reno-Tahoe Fact Sheet

Greater Reno-Tahoe Fact Sheet

Regional Summary

Greater Reno-Tahoe, once known primarily for its gaming history, has transitioned into a more diverse economy in recent years. Emerging industries include clean energy technology and software, which are helping to attract a younger and more educated population, as well as entrepreneurial companies.

The Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) is the private/public partnership committed to recruiting and expanding these companies in the region, which includes Carson City, Douglas, Lyon, Mineral, Pershing, Storey and Washoe Counties. EDAWN was founded by community leaders in 1982 to diversify the Greater Reno-Tahoe economy by recruiting, expanding and starting up quality companies that have a positive impact on the region’s quality of life.  Reno was named the No. 1 Place for Doing Business in America 2005 by Inc. magazine.  For more information on doing business in Greater Reno-Tahoe visit www.edawn.org.

Quick Facts

• Reno-Sparks Metro Population: 423,833 (2008, Nevada State Demographer)
• Average 3 bedroom home value: $213,581 (4th Quarter, 2009)
• Per capita personal income: $45,342 (2007, Bureau of Economic Analysis)
• Job growth: -6.3 percent Reno Sparks MSA (December 2009, Year-over-Year, DETR)
• Unemployment rate: 13.5 percent, Reno-Sparks MSA (January, 2010)

Target Industries

• Clean Energy Technology
• Advanced Manufacturing
• Advanced Logistics
• Software 
• Life Sciences
• Business/Financial Services

Pro-Business Tax Climate

• No State Corporate Income Tax
• No Personal Income Tax
• No Franchise Tax
• No Unitary Tax
• No Estate or Gift Tax
• No Inheritance Tax
• No Inventory Tax 

Top Fortune 100 Companies Doing Business in Greater Reno-Tahoe

• Wal-Mart
• General Motors
• General Electric
• AT&T
• Citigroup
• Bank of America
• Cardinal Health
• Microsoft
• Morgan Stanley  

Major “Local” Target Industry Employers

• Cisco Systems
• International Game Technology (IGT)
• Intuit
• Microsoft Licensing, GP
• NV Energy
• Ormat Technologies
• PC-Doctor, Inc.
• Sierra Nevada Corporation

Leading Research Institutions

• Desert Research Institution
• University of Nevada, Reno

Quality of Life

•  300 days of sunshine per year
• Average temperature of the region: 67.4 degrees (high) and 33.2 degrees (low)
• Air quality index: 81.9 percent
• Average commute time: 30 minutes
• 6 percent of population walk or bike to work
• Largest concentration of ski resorts in North America are all within a 50 mile radius 

Major Transportation Hub

• Reno-Tahoe International Airport
• Air Cargo Providers: FedEx Express, UPS and DHL

Proximity to Major Western Metros (by air)

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