The rundown on Reno (Sparks, Carson City: real estate, apartments, rent)

[Upstateman92]

I'm aware of Reno becoming a boom
City with people flooding there and rent prices sky rocketing , but how bad is it ?
Is it like Portland , Bay Area and Austin: Denver bad ? Or is it still relatively cheap to live

[kttam186290]

People really aren't "flooding in" though... That's what's truly weird about all of it. It's "cheap" compared to San Francisco, but not "cheap" in other ways.

There's a huge push by local RE people to sell Reno as the next Boise, Bend or Ashland. It's fascinating. We'll see.

[TruckeeWannabee]

If you have impaired vision, Reno is fine

[Upstateman92]

So would it be possible to live on 20 an hour ?

[Vic Romano]

Originally Posted by kttam186290

...a huge push by local RE people to sell Reno as the next Boise, Bend or Ashland. It's fascinating. We'll see.

Interesting comment...what do you mean by this? I didn't get that impression...

Real estate is definitely cheaper than the areas you mentioned but remember Reno started from a much lower point after 2008. Cost of living is definitely lower than Portland and Bay Area (which is high), I'm not familiar with Austin and Denver. Main tax advantage is lack of state income tax but advantage is minimal compared to CA at $20 per hour income. Gasoline taxes are much lower outside Washoe County.

[champaigncitizen]

I have been here 4 years and it has really changed a lot in the last year. Traffic has gotten bad and you notice it being really busy everywhere. Housing is nuts and rents are on the rise. My mother in laws rent is going from $650 t0 $950 for an old small 2 bedroom apartment in a decent part of town. Lots of new apartments are being built everywhere but the rent is $1200+.Gas is high in this county and runs about .30 higher per gallon then Carson City. All they have done here since we moved has been to raise taxes. You have to smog your car here and vehicle registrations are on the high side. The newer your car and more expensive your car they more you pay. No income tax is a plus but the state and county still get you with other hidden taxes that run up prices on stuff.
Water is a big concern as the water supply is dependent on snow melt and is not consistent. Air quality has been poor due to the never ending wire fires that seems to blow in from everywhere and settle in the valley. Most of the new jobs are low pay at Tesla or the many warehouses that have been built recently. $12-$15 range. Most of these new jobs are not in Reno either and if you live in town they are a good 35-45 minute commute to the Reno/Tahoe industrial area.With the layout of the area and lack of infrastructure, the traffic and pollution is just going to get worse. The homeless are taking over the North down town area as well as the down town parks. Lots of pan handlers all over the city. The city Mayor and council is more concerned about giving handouts to the problems then cleaning up and running a mid sized city. The county has a lot of power here and likes to wield it. Building something takes forever to get permitted then you have inspection about every other day. If you have money its nice here but if you live paycheck to paycheck you will struggle here.

[Nn2036]

Originally Posted by champaigncitizen

I have been here 4 years and it has really changed a lot in the last year. Traffic has gotten bad and you notice it being really busy everywhere. Housing is nuts and rents are on the rise. My mother in laws rent is going from $650 t0 $950 for an old small 2 bedroom apartment in a decent part of town. Lots of new apartments are being built everywhere but the rent is $1200+.Gas is high in this county and runs about .30 higher per gallon then Carson City. All they have done here since we moved has been to raise taxes. You have to smog your car here and vehicle registrations are on the high side. The newer your car and more expensive your car they more you pay. No income tax is a plus but the state and county still get you with other hidden taxes that run up prices on stuff.
Water is a big concern as the water supply is dependent on snow melt and is not consistent. Air quality has been poor due to the never ending wire fires that seems to blow in from everywhere and settle in the valley. Most of the new jobs are low pay at Tesla or the many warehouses that have been built recently. $12-$15 range. Most of these new jobs are not in Reno either and if you live in town they are a good 35-45 minute commute to the Reno/Tahoe industrial area.With the layout of the area and lack of infrastructure, the traffic and pollution is just going to get worse. The homeless are taking over the North down town area as well as the down town parks. Lots of pan handlers all over the city. The city Mayor and council is more concerned about giving handouts to the problems then cleaning up and running a mid sized city. The county has a lot of power here and likes to wield it. Building something takes forever to get permitted then you have inspection about every other day. If you have money its nice here but if you live paycheck to paycheck you will struggle here.

I am OK with the gas tax and smog test. The road is good. People drive less. There is less polution.

[Vic Romano]

I'm pretty sure the Gigafactory jobs pay more than $15 per hour. Look up "Tesla Panasonic Gigafactory" on the Indeed website.

[owelles]

Originally Posted by champaigncitizen

Traffic has gotten bad and you notice it being really busy everywhere.

Compared to where? Dayton? Fernley? Minden?

One of my favorite things about Reno is the comparative lack of traffic. For an area the size of Reno/Sparks, I think traffic is a non-issue. You'll find an occasional slowdown on 580/395 around the Spaghetti Bowl at rush hour and downtown during major events, but if you're complaining about Reno traffic, you're just looking for something to complain about.

[Hal Roach]

Reno has more to offer than Portland, but there are similar problems.