Metro Life Score
Reno, NV
Below-median composite Life Score — grade B-, 47th percentile of the national corpus.
- 49.2
- Life Score / 100
- B-
- Grade (curved)
- #204
- of 387 metros
- 47%
- composite percentile
Data updated August 2026
Verify: BEA · BLS · HUD · FBI · NCES · EPA · Census · Report a data issue · Data changelog
The verdict
Reno is below-median composite Life Score — #204 of 387 (49.2/100, grade B-, 47th percentile). Carried by schools at 92/100; held back most by cost of living at 17/100.
- 47th
- composite percentile
- #204
- of 387 peers
- 17th
- cost dimension percentile
- 63rd
- wages dimension percentile
Life Score shape · MID · RENT-SQUEEZE · signature cost
Reno: cost pressure is the outlier
Reno is a MID-band metro where cost sits only at the 17th percentile (DEAR) — the clearest outlier vs wages at the 63rd and composite #204. Cost of Living (17/100) is the main drag; Schools (92/100) keeps the floor. According to PlainCompare's federal Life Score corpus ranking, Reno, NV ranks #204 of 387 metros by composite Life Score (highest = #1) and #321 of 387 by cost-of-living dimension score (highest = #1). Methodology.
BEA RPP 101.0 (rent-RPP 123.5). BLS median salary $66,688, 266,130 jobs (Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand, Stockers and Order Fillers, General and Operations Managers). HUD 2BR FMR $1,272/mo (studio $1,070).
FBI UCR (NV): 407 violent, 2226 property/100K. NCES: 19.0:1 ratio, 13.6% charter. DOL infant childcare $10,033/yr. EPA: 2 Superfund sites (NV).
Where Reno sits among all US metros
Composite Life Score vs the national field
49 47th percentile higher than 47% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainCompare composite of BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, EPA data · August 2026
How the 49.2 is built
Reno's Life Score, decomposed
Dimension detail
How Reno scores, dimension by dimension
Score Breakdown
Dimension Scores
Key Data Points
Geography used: crime, schools, childcare, and environment cards above are NV state-level when metro-specific feeds are unavailable, see the scope key at the top of this page.
Compare Reno With...
Ranking Context
Reno outranks 47% of U.S. metros.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| #201 | Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | 49.3 | B- |
| #202 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 49.3 | B- |
| #203 | York-Hanover, PA | 49.4 | B- |
| #204 | Reno, NV | 49.2 | B- |
| #205 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 49.2 | B- |
| #206 | Ocala, FL | 49.1 | B- |
| #207 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | 49.1 | B- |
Quality vs. Affordability
Reno, NV is bottom 48% lowest-quality nationally but only bottom 17% least affordable among its composite-quality peers -- its Life Score is earned mostly outside the cost dimension, not through being a budget option.
NV Metro Scores
Read with Reno
Nearest composite peers and cost poles for Reno (MID · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/MID), replacing the fixed Explore/Guides strip.
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN
ABS(composite) peer at 49.2 (Δ 0.0 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B- vs this page's MID · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/MID.
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
ABS(composite) peer at 49.3 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B- vs this page's MID · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/MID.
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
ABS(composite) peer at 49.3 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B- vs this page's MID · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/MID.
Ocala, FL
ABS(composite) peer at 49.1 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); lower Life Score · grade B- vs this page's MID · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/MID.
Charleston-North Charleston, SC (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 17/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp DEAR vs this metro's DEAR.
Kenosha, WI (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 17/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp DEAR vs this metro's DEAR.
Reno, NV relocation guide
Stamp-branched guide for MID · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/MID - how to read federal Life Score inputs before a move.
Using Reno's middle-third Life Score
Reno scores 49.2/100 overall, but Schools (92.2) and Cost of Living (17.1) sit 75.1 points apart, so decide which of the two matters more to you before leaning on the total.
- Schools is the strongest of Reno's seven dimensions (weighted 10% in the composite); if it is your priority, this is where the metro earns its rank. See all seven dimensions
- Cost of Living is the weakest (weighted 20% in the composite); if it is a dealbreaker, weigh it before the ranking does. Rank metros on the composite
- Carson City is the nearest comparison this page can offer; put the two side by side on the same seven dimensions. Compare with Carson City
A middle-third composite is a weighted blend; individual dimensions can sit well above or below it.