Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
69% of the land in Gerlach is conserved, above both Nevada’s towns (5.2%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Gerlach Water Tower is on the National Register of Historic Places. Gerlach has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Gerlach beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The archive holds 30 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and 2 maps from 1964 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Gerlach is unincorporated, so Washoe County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Gerlach.
Gerlach’s concentration of trails is 2.2 miles per square mile, above both the Nevada town median (2.0) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). 6.9 miles of trail.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Public schools: the Washoe County school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gerlach K-12 SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 22 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
The median commute is under 81 miles. Gerlach had 136 jobs in 2023, up 83 from 2013. The top destinations are Reno (53%), Sparks (17%) and South Lake Tahoe (2%).
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected losses in Gerlach break down as 62% from wildfires and 16% from inland flooding.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
A winter brings about 13 inches of snow, with January nights at 23° and July afternoons at 94°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Nearly a fifth of Gerlach adults get no exercise outside work. Against the Nevada average, Gerlach comes out ahead on 11 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 3. Among 43 Nevada towns, just one has a lower share of adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance than Gerlach.
| Gerlach | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 25% | 25% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 33% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | Gerlach | NV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7% | 14.5% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.4% | 18% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.8% | 7.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Gerlach; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Gerlach residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Nevada.
Where Gerlach’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Census-designated place in Nevada, United States
Gerlach, Nevada is a census-designated place (CDP) in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The population was 130 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area. Prior to 2010, Gerlach was part of the Gerlach–Empire census-designated place. The town of Empire is now a separate CDP. The next nearest town, Nixon, is 60 miles (100 km) to the south on the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation. The Black Rock Desert and Fly Geyser are located near Gerlach.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Gerlach has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
