Photo: Trevor Bexon · CC BY 2.0How is Reno run?
Reno’s city government spent $406.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,486 per resident.
What stands out about how Reno is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Washoe County School District
Reno’s K–12 school district, shared with Sparks. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,902 per pupil, $7,432 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Nevada districts overall: 16% local, 70% state, 14% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $1,486 per resident a year, or $4.07 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,218 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Reno’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,218 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 44 U.S. cities of 250,000–499,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,488, and the middle half spent $1,120–$2,078. Reno spent less than 61% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($41 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
U.S. cities of 250,000–499,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Reno itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 29% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Reno reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,218 · 2023: $1,321 · 2024: $1,486. Per resident it went from $1,218 to $1,486 (up 22%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 259,290 to 273,448.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,229 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,358 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.43% of the home’s value, vs 0.47% across Nevada.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Reno’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Reno’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Reno →
Who’s in charge in Reno
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Reno’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on reno.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 191 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (273,448).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Reno’s votes are counted by county
Nevada reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Reno alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Washoe County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat49.3%130,004 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican48.3%127,340 votesOthers: 2.4% (6,218 votes).
Most votes in Washoe County: Kamala D Harris
Nevada: Trump 50.6%, Harris 47.5%
100% of Reno lies in Washoe County. Every 2024 race in Washoe County is on the county’s page.
Washoe County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Reno sends 7 members to the State Assembly alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: reno.gov ↗
- 2Nevada AssemblyReno is split between 7 districts
- 3Nevada SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Nevada
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Reno compares with the towns next door
Reno spent $1,218 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,167. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Sparks | $1,167 | $2,257 |
| Reno | $1,218 | $2,358 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Reno’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Reno’s government
How much does Reno spend per resident?
About $1,486 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,218 was less than 61% of 44 U.S. cities of 250,000–499,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Reno?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,358 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.43% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.47% across Nevada. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see reno.gov.
Who runs Reno’s government?
See reno.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Reno yet.
How did Reno vote in 2024?
Nevada counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Reno alone. Washoe County, where 100% of Reno lies, voted Harris 49.3%, Trump 48.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Reno?
1,431 full-time and 333 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $14.8M (about $177.9M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Reno in the state legislature?
Reno is split among 7 Assembly districts and 4 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Nevada Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Reno’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →