Virginia City Historic District · National Register of Historic Places
Virginia City’s story
167 years in pictures
9 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1859Virginia City is settled
Virginia CityNV
Virginia City Historic District · Photo: alvito · CC BY 2.0
Population
644
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$414K
Census ACS
Household income
$114K
median
Median age
58.2
years
Jobs based here
602
A job hub
Settled
1859
167 years ago
Is Virginia City a good place to live?
Virginia City’s midpoint age is 58.2 years, above both Nevada’s towns (40.2 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). Of the 43 Nevada towns we compare, none has a higher owner-occupancy rate than Virginia City. Virginia City’s trail network density is 3.8 miles per square mile, above both the Nevada town median (2.0) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Virginia City has 9 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Virginia City Historic District and Chollar Mansion. Virginia City has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Virginia City stand out
Where Virginia City beats most towns.
Landmarks
9 places in Virginia City on the National Register of Historic Places.
Small town
644 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Virginia City.
Work & commute
With 2.2 jobs for every working resident, Virginia City draws in 580 commuters
8%work in town
Half of commuters travel less than 16 miles. Virginia City had 602 jobs in 2023, down 183 from 2013. Only 8% of working residents stay in Virginia City for work; the rest commute out. In Virginia City, 5.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Virginia City | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 5.8% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 8% | 17% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Virginia City8%
Reno34%
Sparks13%
Carson City11%
Dayton3%
16 mi
median commute distance
602
jobs based in Virginia City
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Virginia City’s kids attend
The public schools here belong to the Storey school district. Two of its 3 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. 3 public schools serve Virginia City, with 355 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hugh Gallagher Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 118 | B+ |
| Virginia City High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 131 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Virginia City is wildfire, at a very high overall level
92risk score of 100
FEMA puts 63% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to wildfires, and 21% to earthquakes. Virginia City’s natural-hazard score from FEMA stands at 92 of 100.
FEMA risk score
WildfireEarthquakesInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Older than Nevada overall
58.2median age · NV 39.1
Among adults 25 and older in Virginia City, 32% hold a bachelor’s degree or more. People 65 and older are 33% of residents (17% statewide); children under 18 are 9% of residents (22% statewide).
Virginia CityNevadaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
29%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma11%
High school10%
Some college30%
Associate’s18%
Bachelor’s15%
Graduate17%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 16% and 52% women
The Census survey reached too few of Virginia City’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±17.6 points. Across Nevada, 49.6% of residents are women.
| Virginia City | NV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 0% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.5% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 28.6% | 14.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 0% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.5% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 22.8% | 12.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 26.9% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.7% | 6.7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.7% | 12.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 10.2% | 27.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 29.9% | 23.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 17.7% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 14.9% | 18.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 16.6% | 9.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 600, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
A typical July afternoon in Virginia City is cooler than in the typical Nevada or U.S. town
46″snow a winter
The seasons in Virginia City: chilly, snowy winters, pleasant summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 25° and about 46 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–42°
Spring34–57°
Summer54–80°
Fall39–62°
Oct 17
typical first frost
May 12
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Virginia City stands out in Nevada and nationally: a smaller share of its adults feel lonely
For adults in Virginia City, the share who had a checkup this year is 80%. Only 3 of the 43 Nevada towns we compare have a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Virginia City. Against the Nevada average, Virginia City comes out ahead on 14 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 6.
| Virginia City | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 35% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 19% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 38% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Nevada
14 better12 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Virginia City | NV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.4% | 15.6% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7% | 14.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.4% | 7.4% |
Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center
10.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1
homes sold in September
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0%
conserved · 0 of 551 acres
3.4 mi
of trails · 3.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wheeler Monument | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Virginia City
17pages on Virginia City
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
Nearby attractions
All 33 attractions →Lake Tahoe and 28 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Virginia City. Close and well known come first.
Big draw26 mi LakeLake Tahoe
33 mi LakeDonner Lake
33 mi Ski areaPalisades Tahoe Olympic Valley122 runs · 2,542 ft vertical
19 mi Stadium & arenaMackay Stadium
13 mi Ski areaMount Rose Ski Tahoe57 runs · 1,625 ft vertical
in town MuseumFourth Ward SchoolSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lake Tahoe: Lara Farhadi, CC BY 2.0 · Donner Lake: J.smith, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Palisades Tahoe Olympic Valley: Jonnyboyca at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Mackay Stadium: Lanski, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mount Rose Ski Tahoe: Beesmill, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fourth Ward School: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain
Getting set up
Moving to Virginia City: who provides what
Virginia City is unincorporated, so Storey County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerNV Energy13.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterStorey County Water DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers11% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesStorey CountyStorey 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 hereStorey County ClerkStorey County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code8944089440 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.
A job hub
Every workday, about 580 people come to Virginia City for work
Where Virginia City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
602jobs based in Virginia City
8%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Virginia City
About 0 of every 100 Virginia City residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Nevada.
Questions about Virginia City
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Virginia City, NV a good place to live?
Virginia City has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Virginia City is in here
Say something about Virginia City.
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.