Churchill tops state in buying power

A nationwide financial website has rated Churchill County as the top county in Nevada for being a “paycheck friendly” place to live. The research looks at economic growth such as employment provided by the Dairy Farmers of America milk plant and Naval Air Station Fallon.

A nationwide financial website has rated Churchill County as the top county in Nevada for being a “paycheck friendly” place to live. The research looks at economic growth such as employment provided by the Dairy Farmers of America milk plant and Naval Air Station Fallon.
Photo by Steve Ranson.

Share this: Email | Facebook | X

SmartAsset, a financial website that looks out for the consumer, has tabbed Churchill County as the most economical “paycheck friendly” place to live in Nevada.

Both Churchill and Storey counties rank in the top 100 nationwide according to numerous variables affecting buying power. A big factor tilting in Nevada’s favor is no state income or local city tax.

SmartAsset determined where the paychecks stretch the most, and the research looked at semi-monthly check averages ($2,487), purchasing power, unemployment and income growth. Based on these factors, Churchill County topped the Silver State and was also ranked No. 81 nationally.

Behind Churchill County is Storey County, home of the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center east of Reno. Storey ranked 87th nationally and also has a 1.58 purchasing power, which is slightly higher than Churchill’s.

“Property taxes are also not a major source of financial concern for most Nevadans,” the research showed. “The average homeowner in the state pays annual property taxes that are equal to 0.5% of their home's market value, so annual property taxes shouldn't take a significant chunk out of your bank account. Nevada largely earns money from its sales tax, which is 4.6%. Local sale tax levies can push this total number as high as 7.96%, among the highest in the nation.”

Churchill County Manager Jim Barbee is bullish on the area.

“You can see what a great community we are not only here in Churchill County buy outside the county,” he said. “This (the survey) is just one more example that really focuses on the benefits and the affordability. I think that’s great as someone who live here.”

SmartAsset said the state’s property taxes and the absence of state and local income taxes make Nevada an affordable place to own a home.

Barbee said the county has made great strides since 2008 when both the city and county turned around the economic base. He said the county has diversified its economy. During the past decade, the Dairy Farmers of America milk plant opened, and an Amazon distribution center is nearing completion in the city’s industrial park of a Last Mile Facility of distribution center, the final destination before packages are delivered to customers with a 60-mile radius.

Barbee said the completion of the Rafter 3C complex center has been a positive addition to the area by attracting different events such as concerts, agricultural shows and New Year’s Eve bull riding.

“We are excited about gaining notoriety in other places around the nation,” he said.

Barbee said Churchill County is becoming the Gateway to the Rurals with the area’s recreational amenities such as the Rafter 3C, Sand Mountain and Lahontan Reservoir.

Also, the median home price in Churchill County places the Fallon area in the middle of the pack — eighth of 17 Nevada counties — based on the average home value compiled by Zillow.

“That sounds about right,” said longtime agent Bob Getto, who is also the president of the Northern Nevada Multiple Listing Service that includes more than 4,000 Realtors.

Getto said Churchill County is what he calls a “hot community.” He said the Fallon area is close to Interstate 80, the Reno-Tahoe International Airport and the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center. Additionally, many residents work at Fernley’s industrial park.

“That makes Fallon a desirable community,” he said.

Getto said there’s a demand for affordable housing in the county, but the high construction and interest rates have not helped.

Churchill County, which struggled during the Great Recession of 2008, has been a roll since with the expansion of its business base and Naval Air Station Fallon. Looking at figures from the survey period in 2022, the county’s income growth increased by 8.3%.

“The county's income growth increased by 8.3% in 2022. Churchill County also has a purchasing power of 1.51, meaning money stretches further here compared to the state average of 1.39,” the SmartAsset research showed. “Churchill has an unemployment rate of 5.2%, slightly lower than the state average of 5.4%. The county scored 90.64 on Smart Asset's most paycheck-friendly index.”

“I would comment that 2022 was a successful year for CEDA Clients,” said Sara Beebe-Wolken, director of the Churchill Entrepreneurial Development Association. “We assisted in nine new business starts with 12 jobs created, 87 jobs supported and a total of 99 jobs supported.”

Beebe-Wolken said CEDA assisted with $811,732 of capital infusion to these Churchill County businesses.

“Workforce development is essential in small rural communities and being an entity that can provide free and confidential services to folks wanting to get into the business community and create jobs, that's huge,” she said.

SmartAsset used the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Consumer Survey as its main source of information in addition to the Bureau of Labor statistics and the MIT Living Wage Study.

The third highest rated county in Nevada is Washoe, the state’s second most populous region. Nationally, the county is ranked nationally at 110, and its income growth of 6.8% exceeds the statewide average of 4.5% according to SmartAsset.

Rounding out the top 10 Nevada counties are Douglas, Lander, Carson City, Elko, Lincoln, Pershing and White Pine.