Photo: Famartin · CC BY-SA 3.0Measured against area pay, Ely costs less to live in than 86% of U.S. towns
It ranks #3 of 42 in Nevada for affordability. Down 1.5% in a year, 54% below the Nevada typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of White Pine County, NV ($73K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 4 sales in September 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade compares costs with what households across White Pine County earn ($73K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 3.2 years of area income, and 8% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $203Ktypical home, 54% below the Nevada typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,270a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 3.2 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$73K, White Pine County income
- 16%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 8%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Nevada: 56%Census 2020–24
- 20%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What Ely’s housing numbers say
Rent is easier on renters here
8% of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent, against 56% across Nevada. A standard two-bedroom is 20% of the median household income. Renting ↓
An older housing stock
Half of Ely’s homes were built before 1958, against 1996 for Nevada as a whole. Older homes can mean character, and also bigger heating and repair bills, so an inspection matters. Property taxes ↓
Owning can cost less than renting
With 20% down at the calculator’s rate, the typical Ely home runs about $1,150 a month with tax and insurance. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,270. Can I afford it? ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2017 (2017 partly estimated); incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Ely’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Ely is more affordable than 86% of U.S. towns, #3 of 42 in Nevada. Home prices pull the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Values have lagged Nevada: the typical Ely home is up 3.1% in five years, against 13.6% statewide (Zillow).
Up 3.1% in five years
Slower than Nevada (13.6%).
Show as a table
| January | Ely | Nevada |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $128,000 | $236,000 |
| 2018 | $134,000 | $269,000 |
| 2019 | $139,000 | $301,000 |
| 2020 | $153,000 | $310,000 |
| 2021 | $175,000 | $334,000 |
| 2022 | $199,000 | $412,000 |
| 2023 | $205,000 | $430,000 |
| 2024 | $208,000 | $433,000 |
| 2025 | $206,000 | $455,000 |
| 2026 | $204,000 | $447,000 |
| September 2026 | $203,000 | $441,000 |
A typical Ely home worth $127K in October 2016 is worth about $203K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A year’s rent takes 16% of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Ely’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Ely home, with $98K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,270 a month here, $120 more than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Ely’s typical property tax (0.51% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,270
Renters already here pay a median of $950, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (White Pine County, NV): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
No new homes permitted in 2017
No permits for new homes were issued in Ely in 2017. The last year with any was 2016 (2 new homes).
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $486,000 |
| 2015 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $673,000 |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $283,000 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $648,000 |
| 2006 | 27 | 21 | 6 | $3.5 million |
| 2005 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $421,000 |
Ely's permit office hasn't appeared in the Census permit files since 2017, so these are its newest figures.
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $1,188, under the Nevada median of $2,027, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.51% a year, against 0.47% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Ely and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ely | A | $203K | $234K | 0.51% | $1,270 |
Questions about the cost of living in Ely
Is Ely expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Ely costs less than 86% of U.S. towns: an A for cost of living, #3 of 42 in Nevada. The typical home costs 3.2 years of the median household income of White Pine County, NV ($73K).
How much does a house cost in Ely?
About $203K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 1.5% in a year. The Nevada typical home is $441K.
What salary do you need to live in Ely?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $49,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,150 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $51,000.
How much is rent in Ely?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,270 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $950 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Ely?
The median bill is $1,188 a year, 0.51% of the median home value (Nevada: $2,027, 0.47%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Ely going up?
No: down 1.5% in the past year and 3.1% in five years, against 13.6% across Nevada (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Ely buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.