Reno, NV vs Las Vegas, NV
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Reno, NV spends 29% more per resident than Las Vegas, NV: $11,698 against $9,085. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Reno, NV holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 82/100 (grade A) for Las Vegas, NV — a 8-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Reno, NV at $536 per resident and in Las Vegas, NV at $1,028.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 24% of total revenue in Reno, NV and 34% in Las Vegas, NV.
Summary
Reno spends 28.8% more per capita than Las Vegas ($2,612/person difference). Reno, NV has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $50 |
| Sales Tax | $195 | $386 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,610 | $1,137 |
| Other | $4,147 | $2,806 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $945 |
| Fire Protection | $110 | $280 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $45 |
| Public Welfare | $930 | $705 |
| Hospitals | $905 | $356 |
| Parks & Recreation | $536 | $1,028 |
| Housing | $3,888 | $23 |
| Sewerage | $498 | $332 |
| Utilities | $0 | $129 |
| Other | $4,830 | $5,243 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.