Cold Springs in Winter, 2018
Cold Springs’s story
Cold Springs in pictures
Census counts: 3,834 in 2000, 10,153 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2018 and 4 maps from 1950 on.
Explore the history →
Cold SpringsNV
A town of 11,321 in Nevada.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Soundsfancy · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
11,321
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$433K
Census ACS
Household income
$94K
median
Median age
36.7
years
Jobs based here
172
A commuter town
TownGrade
C+
#10 of 42 in NV
Is Cold Springs a good place to live?
A town of contrasts. Cost of living is its weak spot: the typical home is worth about $433K, 5 years of the Reno metro’s $87K median household income. Walkability is weaker too (C−). Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than just over three quarters of U.S. towns. It lags on hazard risk as well: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 87% of U.S. communities, with wildfire at the top. Incomes are its strong suit (A−) — the median household earns $94K. The overall grade comes out at C+, 10th of 42 in Nevada. On that grade it does better than two fifths of U.S. towns.
Figures: incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · home values, Zillow · FEMA National Risk Index.
A growing town
Cold Springs has grown 19% from 2010 to 2020
8,544 counted in 2010 and 10,153 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Cold Springs grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nevada), ordered by how far Cold Springs is from typical.
Hazard riskWildfire tops the listDOpen →Jobs & incomeAbove the middle of the towns comparedA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.1 of 20; 1.2% of households have no car; 1.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnCOpen →SchoolsSchools do better than mostBOpen →HealthSaint Mary's Regional Medical Center 14 miles awayBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 32 attractions →Pyramid Lake and 25 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cold Springs. Close and well known come first.
32 mi LakePyramid Lake
30 mi LakeDonner Lake
13 mi Stadium & arenaMackay Stadium
37 mi Ski areaPalisades Tahoe Olympic Valley122 runs · 2,542 ft vertical
14 mi LandmarkReno Arch
29 mi State parkDonner Memorial State ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Pyramid Lake: Rhalden, Public domain · Donner Lake: J.smith, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mackay Stadium: Lanski, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Palisades Tahoe Olympic Valley: Jonnyboyca at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Reno Arch: Mobilus In Mobili, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Donner Memorial State Park: Joe Parks from Berkeley, CA, CC BY 2.0
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Getting set up
Moving to Cold Springs: who provides what
Cold Springs is unincorporated, so Washoe County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerNV Energy13.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterGreat Basin Water Co Cold Springs1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesWashoe CountyWashoe County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Nevada you can register online until 5 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereWashoe County Registrar of VotersWashoe County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code8950889508 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Cold Springs.
Cold Springs sends most of its workers to Reno and beyond and has hotter summers than most of the country, though not than most of Nevada.
OutdoorsB
Cold Springs stands out in Nevada and nationally: trail density there is higher
Only 4 of the 42 Nevada towns we compare have a lower share of conserved land than Cold Springs. 43 miles of trail wind through 4 parks and preserves. More trails than any other town in Nevada.
#1for trails in NV
| Cold Springs | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 4.9 miles per square mile | 2.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 5.5% | 4.3% |
0.8%
conserved · 44 of 5,578 acres
43 mi
of trails · 4.9 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Village Center Park | 0.6 mi | 13 |
| 2. Cold Springs Park | 0.5 mi | 13 |
| 3. Forest Park | 0.5 mi | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsB
On state tests, Cold Springs’ schools beat 63% of Nevada districts
Public schools: the Washoe County school district. One of its 3 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed.
63%of NV districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Springs Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 612 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NV on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Natural hazards: very high risk in Cold Springs, mostly wildfire
Cold Springs has had one paid flood insurance claim since 1979. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 34% come from wildfires and 29% from avalanches.
87risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
WildfireAvalanchesInland flooding
1
paid flood claims since 1979
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
More than half of Cold Springs’ working residents commute to Reno
Cold Springs has 172 jobs for its 5,004 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Among 42 Nevada towns, just 4 have a higher average trip to work than Cold Springs. Most working residents leave Cold Springs for work: only 1% work in town. The share of residents in Cold Springs who live below the poverty line: 3.9%. Jobs based in Cold Springs grew to 172 in 2023, 61 more than in 2013.
1%work in town
| Cold Springs | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.3% | 19% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.9% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $94,000 | $78,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Cold Springs1%
Reno56%
Sparks16%
Carson City3%
Paradise2%
16 mi
median commute distance
172
jobs based in Cold Springs
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 24% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
More children than Nevada overall
18% of Cold Springs adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more, below both Nevada’s towns (23%) and U.S. towns (29%). Children under 18 are 31% of residents (22% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (22% statewide). For residents in the town, the share who are 65 or older is 13%. Among 42 Nevada towns, just 2 have a higher share of children under 18 than Cold Springs.
36.7median age · NV 39.1
| Cold Springs | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 31% | 21% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 13% | 20% | 18% |
| Median age | 36.7 years | 40.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 18% | 23% | 29% |
Cold SpringsNevadaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma7%
High school42%
Some college27%
Associate’s7%
Bachelor’s12%
Graduate7%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.1 points. Across Nevada, 49.6% of residents are women.
| Cold Springs | NV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.4% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 16.6% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.6% | 8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.3% | 14.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.3% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.8% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.5% | 12.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.6% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.9% | 6.7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.5% | 12.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 41.5% | 27.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 27.3% | 23.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.6% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 11.6% | 18.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.6% | 9.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Climate
Four seasons and hot summers in Cold Springs
July afternoons average 88°: hotter than most of the country, but cooler than 78% of Nevada places with climate records; January nights average 22.9°.
About 17 inches of snow falls in a winter. Cold Springs’ typical July afternoon high is 88°F, below the Nevada town median (94°F) but above the median of U.S. towns (85°F).
17″snow a winter
| Cold Springs | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 88°F | 94°F | 85°F |
| January low | 23°F | 25°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–45°
Spring34–60°
Summer50–84°
Fall36–66°
Oct 12
typical first frost
May 8
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB
Cold Springs is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns
38% of adults in Cold Springs feel lonely; 30% have high blood pressure. CDC measures, 32 in all: Cold Springs beats Nevada on 9 and trails on 1. In Cold Springs, 20% of adults binge drink.
58%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Cold Springs | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 35% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 12% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Nevada
9 better22 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Cold Springs | NV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 10.7% | 14.5% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 13.9% | 18% |
| More binge drinkers | 19.8% | 15.7% |
Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center
14 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
61st
percentile among NV towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade C
Compared with most of Nevada and the rest of the country, the median rent in Cold Springs is higher
Among households in Cold Springs, 92% own their home. The median sale price was $498,000 in September 2026. Also worth knowing: a home in Cold Springs typically sold within 53 days of listing.
$498Kmedian sale price
| Cold Springs | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,185 a month | $1,404 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 92% | 67% | 73% |
Market temperature
53
days on market
99.6%
sale-to-list price
8
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cold Springs
17pages on Cold Springs
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Cold Springs
Truckee Meadows Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Reno12.7 mi$3,352 in-state tuitionUniversity of Nevada-RenoUniversity or college · Public · Reno13.4 mi$9,578 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Cold Springs residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Nevada.
Get outside
43 miles of trails in Cold Springs
0.8% of the town is conserved land, across 4 parks and preserves.
3
Forest Park0.5 mi of trails · 7 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
About Cold Springs
Census-designated place in Nevada, United States
Cold Springs is a census-designated place (CDP) in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. It is known as Eitse'ihpaa or Eitse'ippaa (literally "cold water" or "cold spring") in Shoshoni. It is located just off U.S. Route 395 in the northwestern part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area, adjacent to the California state line. The population was 10,153 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 8.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 5,059 ft
- Area code
- 775
Cold Springs’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Cold Springs.
RenoCold Springs
How the neighbors grade
| Town | NV rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Springs | #10 | C+ | C | — | B | B |
| Reno | #22 | C | C− | D | B | B |
Cold Springs reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Cold Springs with a neighbor →
Questions about Cold Springs
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cold Springs, NV a good place to live?
Cold Springs grades C+ overall, better than 40% of U.S. towns and #10 of 42 in Nevada. It grades B for health and B for schools, and has the most trail per square mile in the state. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Cold Springs, NV expensive?
The typical home is worth about $433,000, 2% below the Nevada typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.