Most Americans have never been to small town Nevada. However, as the Nevadan who live there know, small town Nevada is an awesome place to call home.
But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Nevada has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Silver State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.
After analyzing more than 31 of Nevada’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Nevada where you’d never want to live:
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the worst small towns in Nevada for 2024:
- Owyhee
- Pioche
- Lovelock
- Jackpot
- Yerington
- Wells
- Tonopah
- Grass Valley
- Topaz Ranch Estates
- Stagecoach
So what is the worst small town to call home in Nevada for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Owyhee is the worst small town to live in Nevada.
While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Owyhee home. Everyone
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.
And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Nevada or the worst places to live in Nevada.
If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.
The 10 Worst Small Towns In Nevada For 2024
1. Owyhee
Population: 1,012
Median Home Value: $64,447
Median Income: $56,000
Unemployment Rate: 5.5%
2. Pioche
/10
Population: 1,111
Median Home Value: $190,708
Median Income: $73,849
Unemployment Rate: 15.0%
3. Lovelock
/10
Population: 1,675
Median Home Value: $209,582
Median Income: $42,955
Unemployment Rate: 14.2%
4. Jackpot
/10
Population: 1,215
Median Home Value: $0
Median Income: $62,692
Unemployment Rate: 14.4%
5. Yerington
/10
Population: 3,108
Median Home Value: $281,142
Median Income: $41,600
Unemployment Rate: 5.1%
6. Wells
/10
Population: 1,057
Median Home Value: $184,005
Median Income: $55,917
Unemployment Rate: 0.4%
7. Tonopah
/10
Population: 1,777
Median Home Value: $149,075
Median Income: $35,931
Unemployment Rate: 3.0%
8. Grass Valley
Population: 1,190
Median Home Value: $150,414
Median Income: $77,308
Unemployment Rate: 12.2%
9. Topaz Ranch Estates
/10
Population: 1,695
Median Home Value: $270,006
Median Income: $56,250
Unemployment Rate: 8.2%
10. Stagecoach
/10
Population: 1,904
Median Home Value: $298,027
Median Income: $68,417
Unemployment Rate: 7.6%
Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Nevada is lousy or not?
To rank the worst small towns to live in Nevada, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.
We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.
Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (The lower, the worse)
- Highest Unemployment Rates
- Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
- Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
- Education (Number of high school dropouts)
- High Crime
We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 31 to be exact.
We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.
We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Nevada.
There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Nevada
If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Silver State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.
The worst small towns in Nevada are Owyhee, Pioche, Lovelock, Jackpot, Yerington, Wells, Tonopah, Grass Valley, Topaz Ranch Estates, and Stagecoach.
If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Nevada, according to science:
- East Valley (Pop. 1,294)
- Minden (Pop. 3,140)
- Mogul (Pop. 1,315)
For more Nevada reading, check out:
Worst Small Towns In Nevada
| Rank | Town | Population | Unemployment Rate | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Owyhee | 1,012 | 5.5% | $64,447 | $56,000 |
| 2 | Pioche | 1,111 | 15.0% | $190,708 | $73,849 |
| 3 | Lovelock | 1,675 | 14.2% | $209,582 | $42,955 |
| 4 | Jackpot | 1,215 | 14.4% | $0 | $62,692 |
| 5 | Yerington | 3,108 | 5.1% | $281,142 | $41,600 |
| 6 | Wells | 1,057 | 0.4% | $184,005 | $55,917 |
| 7 | Tonopah | 1,777 | 3.0% | $149,075 | $35,931 |
| 8 | Grass Valley | 1,190 | 12.2% | $150,414 | $77,308 |
| 9 | Topaz Ranch Estates | 1,695 | 8.2% | $270,006 | $56,250 |
| 10 | Stagecoach | 1,904 | 7.6% | $298,027 | $68,417 |
| 11 | Alamo | 1,019 | 0.0% | $209,773 | $65,083 |
| 12 | Carlin | 2,366 | 5.0% | $173,694 | $68,207 |
| 13 | Smith Valley | 1,646 | 1.0% | $750,391 | $49,226 |
| 14 | Sandy Valley | 1,914 | 10.7% | $279,533 | $86,042 |
| 15 | Hawthorne | 2,739 | 2.3% | $120,132 | $55,847 |
| 16 | West Wendover | 4,513 | 3.0% | $263,406 | $80,342 |
| 17 | Golden Valley | 1,184 | 2.2% | $552,678 | $85,242 |
| 18 | Battle Mountain | 4,187 | 15.2% | $234,762 | $99,962 |
| 19 | Nellis Afb | 4,278 | 22.4% | $110,064 | $67,733 |
| 20 | Ely | 3,957 | 3.9% | $191,661 | $77,076 |
| 21 | Verdi | 1,134 | 3.6% | $744,645 | $77,212 |
| 22 | Washoe Valley | 3,235 | 4.8% | $531,830 | $99,018 |
| 23 | Kingsbury | 1,920 | 1.3% | $819,770 | $74,424 |
| 24 | Panaca | 1,039 | 0.0% | $221,064 | $68,073 |
| 25 | Bunkerville | 1,008 | 0.0% | $363,682 | $142,500 |
| 26 | Genoa | 1,013 | 3.8% | $1,138,855 | $116,250 |
| 27 | Osino | 1,051 | 0.0% | $201,860 | $101,532 |
| 28 | Ruhenstroth | 1,691 | 0.4% | $706,791 | $98,281 |
| 29 | East Valley | 1,294 | 8.0% | $965,141 | $123,445 |
| 30 | Minden | 3,140 | 0.5% | $662,582 | $87,778 |
| 31 | Mogul | 1,315 | 2.5% | $639,429 | $131,838 |
