You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Nevada. Best suburbs in Nevada. Best counties in Nevada.
Etc., etc., etc.
But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Silver State, and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in Nevada based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.
We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in Nevada ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.
$145,250 median income · 2.3% unemployment
$99,904 median income · 2.1% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$64,083 median income · 0.0% unemployment
$125,417 median income · 3.7% unemployment
$121,981 median income · 4.1% unemployment
$67,301 median income · 0.0% unemployment
$105,281 median income · 0.4% unemployment
$80,670 median income · 6.4% unemployment
$96,250 median income · 4.5% unemployment
$49,013 median income · 1.0% unemployment
West Wendover is a small city in Elko County, Nevada, United States. The population was 4,410 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Elko micropolitan area. West Wendover is located on the eastern border of Nevada and the western edge of the Great Salt Lake Desert and is contiguous with Wendover, Utah, with which it is sometimes confused. Interstate 80 runs just north of the cities, while Interstate 80 Business runs through the two cities.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Nevada’s statewide median.
Nevada statewide median: $78,260
Nevada statewide median: $446,865
Nevada statewide median: 7.0%
On the map
Where Nevada’s best small towns are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Nevada
We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in Nevada possible.
Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 29 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 29, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Nevada. Top of that list — Mogul.
This is our eleventh time ranking the best small places to live in Nevada.
The full plate
Best Small Towns In Nevada
Click any column to sort. Search by town name.
| Rank | Town | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mogul | 1,050 | $145,250 | $670,810 | 2.3% |
| 2 | Minden | 3,707 | $99,904 | $691,908 | 2.1% |
| 3 | Panaca | 1,015 | $64,083 | $244,045 | 0.0% |
| 4 | East Valley | 1,283 | $125,417 | $897,322 | 3.7% |
| 5 | Genoa | 1,284 | $121,981 | $1,171,783 | 4.1% |
| 6 | Fallon Station | 1,399 | $67,301 | $0 | 0.0% |
| 7 | Ruhenstroth | 1,682 | $105,281 | $687,847 | 0.4% |
| 8 | Verdi | 1,012 | $80,670 | $816,512 | 6.4% |
| 9 | Kingsbury | 2,209 | $96,250 | $1,105,564 | 4.5% |
| 10 | West Wendover | 4,514 | $49,013 | $295,977 | 1.0% |
| 11 | Washoe Valley | 3,315 | $122,614 | $625,754 | 6.8% |
| 12 | Indian Springs | 1,180 | $87,083 | $391,543 | 1.2% |
| 13 | Osino | 1,341 | $92,756 | $109,099 | 0.0% |
| 14 | Ely | 3,929 | $77,500 | $204,821 | 3.9% |
| 15 | Battle Mountain | 3,518 | $81,857 | $284,969 | 13.2% |
| 16 | Tonopah | 1,910 | $47,031 | $159,808 | 0.0% |
| 17 | McGill | 1,050 | $56,779 | $145,825 | 6.9% |
| 18 | Smith Valley | 1,807 | $67,132 | $775,907 | 3.3% |
| 19 | Hawthorne | 2,809 | $67,300 | $129,527 | 9.0% |
| 20 | Golden Valley | 1,139 | $93,456 | $511,934 | 12.5% |
| 21 | Carlin | 2,088 | $60,898 | $215,968 | 1.6% |
| 22 | Yerington | 3,150 | $57,980 | $312,509 | 2.7% |
| 23 | Lemmon Valley | 4,412 | $76,029 | $394,111 | 10.9% |
| 24 | Wells | 1,352 | $107,454 | $218,811 | 5.5% |
| 25 | Lovelock | 1,481 | $42,074 | $249,971 | 9.2% |
| 26 | Grass Valley | 1,134 | $80,368 | $0 | 4.7% |
| 27 | Sandy Valley | 1,742 | $57,639 | $239,854 | 13.2% |
| 28 | Stagecoach | 1,892 | $70,000 | $330,889 | 8.5% |
| 29 | Topaz Ranch Estates | 1,621 | $57,574 | $296,918 | 6.0% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 via Saturday Night Science. 29 Nevada towns between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these small towns in Nevada are the best in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
The best small towns in Nevada are Mogul, Minden, Panaca, East Valley, Genoa, Fallon Station, Ruhenstroth, Verdi, Kingsbury, and West Wendover. Not sold on Nevada? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Small Towns In Nevada FAQs
What is the best small town to live in Nevada?
Mogul is the best small town in Nevada for 2026. The median household income there is $145,250 and the median home costs $670,810. Minden and Panaca round out the top three.
What are the best small towns in Nevada?
The best small towns in Nevada are Mogul, Minden, Panaca, East Valley, Genoa, Fallon Station, Ruhenstroth, Verdi, Kingsbury, and West Wendover. We ranked all 29 Nevada towns with between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
What counts as a small town?
For this ranking, a small town is any Nevada place with between 1,000 and 5,000 residents. 29 towns fit that window this year.
How do you rank the best small towns in Nevada?
Each town is scored on density, unemployment, housing costs, income, education, insurance coverage, and commute times, using Census American Community Survey data. The town with the best average across all of it, Mogul, takes the top spot.
How much does a home cost in Mogul?
The median home in Mogul runs $670,810, against $446,865 across Nevada as a whole. Pair that with a $145,250 median household income, and you can see why it ranks so well.
