Photo: Ken Lund from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0Sparks spent less per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities
Sparks’ city government spent $122.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $1,119 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau.
What stands out about how Sparks is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,167 per resident in 2022: less than 67% of them
Sparks’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,167 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 182 U.S. cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,360, and the middle half spent $1,088–$1,799. Sparks spent less than 67% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($18.8 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 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Sparks itself left out).
About $1,119 per resident a year, or $3.07 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 1% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Sparks 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: $1,167 · 2023: $1,119.
full-time in March 2025, up from 508 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 $2,257 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.47% 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 Sparks’ 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 Sparks’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Sparks →
Who’s in charge in Sparks
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Sparks’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofsparks.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 197 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (109,796).
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.
Washoe County School District
Sparks’ K–12 school district, shared with Reno. 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.
Sparks’ votes are counted by county
Nevada reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Sparks 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 Sparks 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
Every level of government that speaks for Sparks.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofsparks.us ↗
- 2Nevada AssemblySparks is split between 3 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 Sparks compares with the towns next door
Sparks spent $1,167 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,218. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Reno | $1,218 | $2,358 |
| Sparks | $1,167 | $2,257 |
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 Sparks’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Sparks’ government
How much does Sparks spend per resident?
About $1,119 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,167 was less than 67% of 182 U.S. cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Sparks?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,257 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.47% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.47% across Nevada. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofsparks.us.
Who runs Sparks’ government?
See cityofsparks.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Sparks yet.
How did Sparks vote in 2024?
Nevada counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Sparks alone. Washoe County, where 100% of Sparks lies, voted Harris 49.3%, Trump 48.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Sparks?
556 full-time and 147 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $5.7M (about $68.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Sparks in the state legislature?
Sparks is split among 3 Assembly districts and 3 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 Sparks’ 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 →