Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Wells’ best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for the outdoors; its weakest is a D− for hazard risk. Wells’ average trip to work is 37 minutes, above both the Nevada town median (24 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). On cost of living, just 2 of Nevada’s 65 towns do better. Residents are less healthy than 89% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. 21% of the land in Wells is conserved, above both the Nevada town median (5.2%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). El Rancho Hotel and Casino is on the National Register of Historic Places. Wells has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Wells beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nevada), ordered by how far Wells is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 243 in 1880, 1,237 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1850 and 2 maps from 1968 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wells, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Wells.
Wells’ FEMA risk score is 98 of 100.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Elko school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wells Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 141 | B+ |
| Wells High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 100 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NV on state tests and graduation
40% of adults have obesity in Wells. Wells beats the Nevada average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 15% of adults have diabetes in Wells.
| Wells | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 22% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | Wells | NV |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 76.1% | 72.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.6% | 11.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Wells home is worth about $220,000, up 1.7% in a year, 50% below the Nevada typical home. The median rent in Wells is $976 a month.
| Wells | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $976 a month | $1,410 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 66% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
3.4 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Among 43 Nevada towns, just 2 have a lower trail density than Wells.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wells City Park | 0.5 mi | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Wells has cold winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Among 43 Nevada towns, just 2 have a lower July high than Wells.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 3 of Wells’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Wells has lost 100 jobs, to 496 in 2023. The top destinations are Elko (17%), Fernley (7%) and Sparks (3%).
| Wells | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 31% | 17% | 8% |
| Median household income | $107,000 | $78,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Wells; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Wells residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Nevada.
City in Nevada, United States
Wells is a small city in Elko County, in northeast Nevada in the western United States. As of the 2020 census, Wells had a population of 1,237. Wells is located at the junction of Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 93, approximately 50 miles (80 km) east of Elko and is part of the Elko micropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.