Nevada · 101st largest metro area

Buying a home in Reno, Nevada

In Reno, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $548,300, Washoe County's effective property tax rate is 0.44%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $8,249 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $1,556 a month.

Data as of : Census ACS 2020-2024, Census Vintage 2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

Reno home costs, fact by fact

About Reno

Median gross rent is $1,556 per month, and HUD's Fair Market Rent is $1,837. Owners occupy 49.8% of homes. Washoe County's effective property tax rate (median tax as a share of home value) is 0.44%, and the city has 281,714 residents.

Reading the Reno figures

Buying in Reno means paying more than the Nevada norm: $548,300 here, while the state sits at $459,400 and Las Vegas at only $427,900. Renters get a different picture, because Reno's $1,556 a month is barely under Las Vegas at $1,563. In other words the price gap is a purchase-side gap.

Washoe County keeps the annual property tax down, with a 0.44% rate that produces $2,385 a year, and lenders there charged between $5,124 and $13,365 for most loans in 2025. HUD's own benchmark for the area, $1,837, runs above the census rent, a reminder that a fresh lease may not match the median.

Calculate for Nevada

If you buy

Nevada state transfer tax

Real property transfer tax: $1.95 per $500 of value or fraction of $500 when value is over $100. Change the price: the amount is recalculated instantly.

Price$459,400
State transfer tax$1,792.05
Share of the price0.39% of the price
Who paysShared by buyer and seller

Default price: the Nevada median value of owner-occupied homes, $459,400 (Census ACS 2025). Rule: Divide the value by $500, round up to the next whole unit, multiply by $1.95. Applies when value is over $100. Washoe and Churchill counties use $2.05 and Clark County $2.55 per unit. Plus $0.60 per $500 in Clark County, which includes Las Vegas: $2.55 per $500 in total (Clark County Recorder). Who pays: The Department of Taxation and Clark County Recorder pages do not say who owes it, and the statute pages could not be opened. The State Bar of Nevada says the tax is often split equally and a written agreement can divide it differently. Not included: other county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. Nevada transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: Nevada state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Questions about buying a home in Reno

How much is property tax in Reno?

Homeowners in Washoe County pay a median $2,385 a year in property tax, 0.44% of the county median home value of $539,900 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Reno?

Home-purchase mortgages in Washoe County carried median total loan costs of $8,249 in 2025; half of the 4,554 loans fell between $5,124 and $13,365 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in Reno?

Nevada's real property transfer tax is $1.95 per $500 of value in most counties, and Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, charges $2.55 per $500, so a $500,000 sale owes $2,550. The State Bar of Nevada says buyer and seller often split it.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Reno?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Reno ($548,300) equals 29.4 years of the median gross rent ($1,556 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

Run your own numbers: rent vs buy calculator · closing costs calculator.

Nevada rules that apply in Reno

Other large cities in Nevada

Who licenses each trade in Nevada · All covered cities

Sources

Nevada · All states · Federal guides