Area51 Research Center front, 1997
Rachel’s story
53 years in pictures
The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1997 and a map from 1987 on.
- 1973Rachel is founded
RachelNV
Photo: Cooper, in Wiki Commons known as Cooper.ch 18:45, 7 August 2006 (UTC) · CC BY-SA 2.5
Population
113
Census survey, 2020–24
Household income
$44K
median
Median age
62.2
years
Land area
8 sq mi
Founded
1973
53 years ago
Is Rachel a good place to live?
26% of residents live below the poverty line in Rachel, above both the Nevada town median (11%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Among 43 Nevada towns, just one has a higher midpoint age than Rachel. 42% of the land in Rachel is conserved, against 5.2% in Nevada’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Rachel has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Rachel stand out
Where Rachel beats most towns.
Small town
113 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Rachel.
Outdoors
Rachel has set aside nearly a third of its land for conservation
42.1%conserved
Rachel’s trail density comes in at 0.9 miles per square mile. Walkers can cover 4.0 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
42.1%
conserved · 1,161 of 2,758 acres
4.0 mi
of trails · 0.9 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. D.C. Day Park | 0.1 mi | 5 |
| 2. EWU Resort | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: very high risk in Rachel, mostly inland flooding
87risk score of 100
Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 87% of U.S. communities.
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Rachel, expect four seasons and hot summers
95°summer high
July afternoons reach 95° and January nights drop to 22°.
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–50°
Spring39–69°
Summer59–93°
Fall40–72°
Oct 8
typical first frost
May 4
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
95°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Rachel is
Rachel: 18% of adults report frequent mental distress. Among adults here, 17% smoke cigarettes and 35% sleep under 7 hours.
| Rachel | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 74% | 79% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 38% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 33% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Nevada
6 better24 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Rachel | NV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8.9% | 14.5% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.3% | 15.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.7% | 7.4% |
Grover C Dils Medical Center
68.8 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Rachel
13pages on Rachel
The big questions
Day to day
Getting set up
Moving to Rachel: who provides what
Rachel is unincorporated, so Lincoln County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerLincoln County Power Dist No 1EIAHIFLD · EIA
Internet1 providers0% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesLincoln CountyLincoln County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Nevada you can register online until 5 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereLincoln County ClerkLincoln County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2023
ZIP code8900189001 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Rachel; the nearest are
Chamberlain University-NevadaUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Las Vegas103.7 mi$19,975 tuitionUniversity of Nevada-Las VegasUniversity or college · Public · Las Vegas111.6 mi$9,748 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Rachel residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Nevada.
About Rachel
Census-designated place in Nevada, United States
Rachel is a census-designated place (CDP) in Lincoln County, Nevada, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 48. As the closest settlement to the Nellis Air Force Range and Area 51, Rachel enjoys a modest celebrity status, particularly among aviation enthusiasts and UFO hunters.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1996
- Area
- 7.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 4,856 ft
Questions about Rachel
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Rachel, NV a good place to live?
Rachel has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Rachel is in here
Say something about Rachel.
Ask a question, answer one, post a photo or an event. Free, and the parts only a neighbor would know are the parts worth reading.