Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
3 of its places are on the National Register of Historic Places.
The weak point is health: residents are less healthy than 92% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. With a D− overall, Hawthorne is better than 4% of U.S. towns. That places it 40th of 42 in Nevada. Cost of living is its strong suit (B): a typical home costs about $112K, 2 years of the county’s $55K median household income. It also trails on schools (D): its public schools trail 89% of Nevada towns on state tests and graduation. Incomes are weaker too: the median household income is $67K, and 14% of residents live below the poverty line. The town’s trail density is 4.2 miles per square mile, above both the Nevada town median (2.0) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Its National Register listings include Aurora and Mineral County Courthouse.
Figures: home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · health, CDC PLACES · schools, state test and graduation results · OpenStreetMap · National Register of Historic Places.
Where Hawthorne beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nevada), ordered by how far Hawthorne is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,861 in 1950, a peak of 4,162 in 1990, 3,118 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1941 and a map from 1955 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Hawthorne is unincorporated, so Mineral 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 Hawthorne.
Hawthorne trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns and has commutes shorter than most of Nevada.
Homes are within reach (about $112K for the typical one, B for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 60 miles. At 2 years of the county’s $55K median household income, the typical home (about $112K) costs less against local pay than in any other Nevada town; that ratio is one input to that grade.
In Hawthorne, the going rate for rent is $974 a month. Home values are down 7.6% over the year to September 2026. Two thirds of households own their home here.
| Hawthorne | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $974 a month | $1,419 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Below: Two of its 3 schools, each with why it was picked. Public schools: the Mineral school district. 3 public schools serve Hawthorne, with 475 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawthorne ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 267 | C+ |
| Mineral County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 128 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NV on state tests and graduation
Across 1 park or preserve: 7.6 miles of trail. Only 4 of the 42 Nevada towns we compare have a higher trail density than Hawthorne.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Veterans Memorial Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Only 2 of the 42 Nevada towns we compare have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Hawthorne. In Hawthorne, 16% of adults have diabetes. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Hawthorne is ahead of Nevada on 2 and behind on 14.
| Hawthorne | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 22% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Hawthorne | NV |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 66.6% | 58.6% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 78.3% | 72.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 12.7% | 7.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The average commute for its 982 working residents takes 13.1 minutes, against 24.8 across Nevada.
Roughly one working resident in three has a job in Hawthorne itself. Its typical journey to work stands at 13 minutes. The top destinations are Tonopah (12%), Reno (5%) and Carson City (2%). The share of residents in Hawthorne who live below the poverty line: 15%.
| Hawthorne | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 34% | 16% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $78,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
FEMA puts 58% of Hawthorne’s expected hazard losses down to earthquakes, and 34% to inland flooding. Its risk rating from FEMA comes in at 73 of 100.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
July afternoons average 95.9°, hotter than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 24°.
About 1 inches of snow falls in a winter. The July high for Hawthorne comes to 96°F.
| Hawthorne | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 96°F | 94°F | 85°F |
| January low | 24°F | 25°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
None within 15 miles of Hawthorne; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Hawthorne residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Nevada.
3 places in Hawthorne on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Hawthorne.
Census-designated place in Nevada, United States
Hawthorne is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Mineral County, Nevada, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,118. It is the county seat of Mineral County. The nearby Hawthorne Army Depot is the primary economic base of the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Hawthorne grades D− overall, better than 4% of U.S. towns and #40 of 42 in Nevada. It grades D for health and D for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
3 notable people were born here, including Grant Harvey and Jim Nash.
