Golden ValleyNV
A town of 1,139.
Is Golden Valley a good place to live?
Golden Valley’s best subject grades are a B+ for the outdoors and health; its weakest is a D for hazard risk. Golden Valley’s median age is 61.8 years, where Nevada’s towns sit at 40.2 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. No town among the 43 in Nevada we compare has a higher share of households owning their home than Golden Valley. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 77% of U.S. towns. Golden Valley’s trail density is 2.8 miles per square mile, against 2.0 in Nevada’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Golden Valley Park, at 22 acres. Golden Valley has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Golden Valley stand out
Where Golden Valley beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
1,139 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How Golden Valley grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nevada), ordered by how far Golden Valley is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Lake Tahoe and 26 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Golden Valley. Close and well known come first.
Big draw39 mi LakeLake Tahoe
32 mi LakePyramid Lake
5 mi Stadium & arenaMackay Stadium
31 mi LakeDonner Lake
37 mi Ski areaPalisades Tahoe Olympic Valley122 runs · 2,542 ft vertical
6 mi LandmarkReno ArchPhoto credits
Lake Tahoe: Lara Farhadi, CC BY 2.0 · Pyramid Lake: Rhalden, Public domain · Mackay Stadium: Lanski, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Donner Lake: J.smith, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Palisades Tahoe Olympic Valley: Jonnyboyca at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Reno Arch: Mobilus In Mobili, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Moving to Golden Valley: who provides what
Golden Valley 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Golden Valley.
41% of residents are 65 or older
People 65 and older are 41% of residents (17% statewide); children under 18 are 12% of residents (22% statewide). 29% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 28% across Nevada.
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±7.4 points. Across Nevada, 49.6% of residents are women.
| Golden Valley | NV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.5% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.2% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.7% | 8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.2% | 14.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.1% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 4.7% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.7% | 12.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 26.2% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 14.8% | 6.7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 13.7% | 12.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 19.4% | 27.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.5% | 23.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.5% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.8% | 18.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.2% | 9.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
Public schools in Golden Valley beat 63% of Nevada districts
Its public schools are run by the Washoe County school district. Its one school is below. The largest public high school is North Valleys High School, with 2,307 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Valleys High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,307 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NV on state tests and graduation
Very high risk in Golden Valley, with wildfire at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 91% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Golden Valley stands out in Nevada and nationally: a smaller share of its working residents work locally
0.2% of working residents work locally in Golden Valley. Jobs based in Golden Valley grew to 106 in 2023, 41 more than in 2013. The average trip to work in Golden Valley is 29 minutes.
| Golden Valley | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.2% | 17% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $93,000 | $78,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Golden Valley is healthier than 68% of U.S. towns
Golden Valley beats the Nevada average on 14 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 28% of Golden Valley adults have obesity. Among 43 Nevada towns, just 4 have a lower share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Golden Valley.
| Golden Valley | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 33% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 25% | 25% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 19% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Golden Valley | NV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.6% | 9.7% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.5% | 18% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.8% | 7.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Four seasons and hot summers in Golden Valley
Golden Valley has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Golden Valley’s July high is 89°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Golden Valley has set aside 1.7% of its land for conservation
10 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Golden Valley Park | 0.5 mi | 22 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
A home in Golden Valley sells for about $515K at the median
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Golden Valley
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Golden Valley
About 5 of every 100 Golden Valley residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Nevada.
100% of working residents leave Golden Valley for work
Where Golden Valley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Golden Valley
Census-designated place in Nevada, United States
Golden Valley is a census-designated place (CDP) in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. As of the 2020 census, Golden Valley had a population of 1,580. It is a northern suburb of the city of Reno and is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. Prior to 2010, it was listed by the U.S. Census Bureau as part of the Lemmon Valley–Golden Valley CDP.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 5,092 ft
Questions about Golden Valley
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Golden Valley, NV expensive?
That is 5.7 years of the area's median household income ($87,485 across the Reno, NV metro 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−.