Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 94% of U.S. communities, with wildfire at the top. Overall it grades C−, 23rd among Nevada's 42 graded towns. It is more walkable than 87% of U.S. towns and it has 38 miles of trail. 56% of working residents work locally in Elko, against 16% in Nevada’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Elko is home to Great Basin College. Among 42 Nevada towns, just 2 have a lower midpoint age than Elko.
Where Elko beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
18,297 counted in 2010 and 20,564 in 2020; an estimated 21,019 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nevada), ordered by how far Elko is from typical.
Its grades run from A for walkability (better than 87% of comparable towns) to D− for hazard risk (better than 1%), so the C− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,160 in 1870, a low of 752 in 1880, 20,564 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1850 and 3 maps from 1957 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elko, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Elko.
Elko has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, has home values rising while Nevada’s fall and has seen reported crime fall by a third or more.
Of the losses FEMA expects in Elko, 72% come from wildfires and 17% from inland flooding. The national flood insurance program has paid 14 claims here since 1984. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2017.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Elko school district. Three of its 10 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. 6 public schools serve Elko, with 2,118 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flagview Intermediate SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–6 | Grades 5–6 | 674 | B |
| Elko High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,407 | B− |
| Grammar School 2Top results in townGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 341 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NV on state tests and graduation
The biggest park or preserve is Main City Park, at 23 acres. Across 10 parks and preserves: 38 miles of trail. For Elko, the density of trails is 2.2 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Main City Park | 0.7 mi | 23 |
| 2. Peace Park | 0.3 mi | 8 |
| 3. Mountain View Park | 0.1 mi | 23 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Reported crimes fell from 463 to 271 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
In Elko, the level of violent crime is 3.6 per 1,000 residents. Within Nevada, it does better than 60% of towns.
| Elko | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.6 per 1,000 residents | 3.6 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 9.4 per 1,000 residents | 14.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The Elko Rgnl Ap weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 111 days, shorter than in 98% of U.S. towns.
Elko’s July high comes in at 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Values rose 2.1% in the past year while the Nevada typical home fell 1.6%.
Home values are up 2.1% over the year to September 2026. Among households in Elko, 63% live in a home they own. Also worth knowing: 28% of the homes sold in Elko went for more than their asking price.
| Elko | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,267 a month | $1,419 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Employers in Elko shed 1,345 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 14,136. The share of residents in Elko who live below the poverty line: 14%. Among 42 Nevada towns, just 3 have a lower share of workers working from home than Elko. Its mean commuting time stands at 27 minutes.
| Elko | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 3% | 9% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
30% of adults have high blood pressure in Elko. Against the Nevada average, Elko comes out ahead on 5 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 2. Among 42 Nevada towns, just 2 have a lower share of adults who had a checkup this year than Elko.
| Elko | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 74% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 35% | 35% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Elko | NV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 10.2% | 12% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.5% | 6.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.5% | 11.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Elko
About 5 of every 100 Elko residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Nevada.
3 places in Elko on the National Register of Historic Places.
11 notable people were born in Elko.
City in Nevada, United States
Elko is a city in and the county seat of Elko County, Nevada, United States. As of the 2020 census, Elko had a population of 20,564. Elko serves as the center of the Ruby Valley, a region with a population of over 55,000. Elko is 21 miles (34 km) from Lamoille Canyon and the Ruby Mountains, providing year-round access to recreation, including hiking, skiing, hunting, and more than 20 alpine lakes. The city straddles the Humboldt River. Spring Creek, Nevada, serves as a bedroom community 6 miles (10 km) from the city with a population of 13,805. Elko is the principal city of the Elko Micropolitan Statistical Area, a micropolitan area that covers Elko and Eureka counties. Although a small cit…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Elko grades C− overall, better than 24% of U.S. towns and #23 of 42 in Nevada. It grades C+ for health, C for safety and C+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within Nevada, it does better than 60% of towns.
That is 4.2 years of the area's median household income ($85,882 across the Elko, NV area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
11 notable people were born here, including Morley Griswold and Jenny Lee Lindberg.
