Photo: Famartin · CC BY-SA 3.0Measured against area pay, Tonopah costs less to live in than 86% of U.S. towns
Down 3.3% in a year, 64% below the Nevada typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Pahrump, NV micro area ($61K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 1 sale in April 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade compares costs with what households across the Pahrump-area micro earn ($61K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.4 years of area income, and 24% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $157Ktypical home, 64% below the Nevada typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,480a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 2.4 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$61K, Pahrump-area income
- 17%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 24%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Nevada: 56%Census 2020–24
- 18%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
The short version on homes in Tonopah
Prices are 28% below their 2022 peak
The typical Tonopah home peaked at $217K in May 2022 and is worth about $157K now. Nevada as a whole is 4% off its own peak. Over five years, Tonopah is down 24%. Price trend ↓
Owning can cost less than renting
With 20% down at the calculator’s rate, the typical Tonopah home runs about $910 a month with tax and insurance. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,480. Can I afford it? ↓
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median tax bill is $964, under the Nevada median of $2,027, because homes cost less. As a share of value, though, it’s 0.67% a year, against 0.47% statewide. On the typical home, that’s about $90 a month. Property taxes ↓
New renters pay more than renters already here
HUD puts a standard two-bedroom at about $1,480 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already in Tonopah pay a median of $843. Renting ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Tonopah’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Tonopah is more affordable than 86% of U.S. towns. Rent pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Values have lagged Nevada: the typical Tonopah home is down 24.0% in five years, against 13.6% statewide (Zillow).
Down 24% in five years
Slower than Nevada (13.6%).
Show as a table
| January | Tonopah | Nevada |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $136,000 | $301,000 |
| 2020 | $166,000 | $310,000 |
| 2021 | $182,000 | $334,000 |
| 2022 | $213,000 | $412,000 |
| 2023 | $203,000 | $430,000 |
| 2024 | $175,000 | $433,000 |
| 2025 | $173,000 | $455,000 |
| 2026 | $165,000 | $447,000 |
| September 2026 | $157,000 | $441,000 |
A typical Tonopah home worth $116K in February 2018 is worth about $157K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 2.4 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Tonopah’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Tonopah home, with $89K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,480 a month here, $570 more than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Tonopah’s typical property tax (0.67% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,480
Renters already here pay a median of $843, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Esmeralda County, NV): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $964, under the Nevada median of $2,027, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.67% a year, against 0.47% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Tonopah and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tonopah | A | $157K | $144K | 0.67% | $1,480 |
Questions about the cost of living in Tonopah
Is Tonopah expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Tonopah costs less than 86% of U.S. towns: an A for cost of living. The typical home costs 2.4 years of the median household income of the Pahrump, NV micro area ($61K).
How much does a house cost in Tonopah?
About $157K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 3.3% in a year. The Nevada typical home is $441K.
What salary do you need to live in Tonopah?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $39,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $910 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $59,000.
How much is rent in Tonopah?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,480 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $843 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Tonopah?
The median bill is $964 a year, 0.67% of the median home value (Nevada: $2,027, 0.47%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Tonopah going up?
No: down 3.3% in the past year and -24.0% in five years, against 13.6% across Nevada (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Tonopah buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, April 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.