Best PlacesNorthwest, Reno, NV Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around Northwest, Reno, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Costs and crime both read low, and the nearest big city is a drive away. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
Northwest, Reno ranks 1,019th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on state finances by a wide margin, and walkability ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in Northwest, Reno
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
Northwest, Reno's strengths and weaknesses
Where Northwest, Reno ranks high
- State fiscal healthBetter than 96% of neighborhoods
- Low property taxBetter than 93% of neighborhoods
- State infrastructureBetter than 91% of neighborhoods
- Crime safetyBetter than 86% of neighborhoods
- Low vacancyBetter than 85% of neighborhoods
Where Northwest, Reno ranks low
- WalkabilityBetter than only 8% of neighborhoods
- Cell coverageBetter than only 16% of neighborhoods
- TransitBetter than only 18% of neighborhoods
- Big-city accessBetter than only 22% of neighborhoods
- Tree shadeBetter than only 24% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in Northwest, Reno
A household needs to earn about $151,000 a year to comfortably buy the median Northwest, Reno home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $114,167, so buying stretches a typical household.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses Northwest, Reno's effective rate of 0.49%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 10 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in Northwest, Reno
Northwest, Reno runs older than the country, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for Northwest, Reno.
Who works in Northwest, Reno, and how
Work in Northwest, Reno centers on health care & social and professional & technical. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 82%
- Work from home 15%
- Transit, walk, or bike 3%
Life in Northwest, Reno
Northwest, Reno has more parkland per resident than 85% of neighborhoods. That concentrates in some parts of Northwest, Reno and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in Northwest, Reno, month by month
Northwest, Reno sees roughly 168 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 97 degrees. January highs sit near 51, with lows near 25. The comfortable stretch runs May, June, September, and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 37° | 25° |
| April | 69° | 53° | 38° |
| July | 97° | 80° | 61° |
| October | 74° | 55° | 39° |
Flying in and out of Northwest, Reno
The nearest airport, Reno/Tahoe International, is about 7 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Sacramento International, about 108 miles away.
The best schools in and around Northwest, Reno
Schools across Northwest, Reno average a B−, better than 59% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Rollan Melton ElementaryA− · 61% proficient
- George Westergard ElementaryB · 47% proficient
- Verdi ElementaryB− · 42% proficient
Top middle schools
- Billinghurst Middle SchoolB− · 42% proficient
- Archie Clayton Pre-a.p. AcademyC+ · 37% proficient
Top high schools
- Reno High SchoolB+ · 53% proficient
- Robert Mcqueen High SchoolC · 34% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every Northwest, Reno school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
Northwest, Reno measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare Northwest, Reno against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Who Northwest, Reno suits
Remote workers
Cost of living against local pay beats 84% of neighborhoods and 15% already work from home.
Retirees
The weather beats 82% of neighborhoods, health care access beats 76%, and it is quieter than 76%.
Common questions about living in Northwest, Reno
Is Northwest, Reno a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, Northwest, Reno ranks 1,019th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on state finances, low property taxes, and state infrastructure, and lowest on walkability and cell coverage. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is Northwest, Reno expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $601,301. The overall cost of living runs about 0% above the national average. Set against a $114,167 median income, cost of living beats 84% of neighborhoods.
Is Northwest, Reno safe?
Yes, Northwest, Reno is safer than 86% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $322 per resident a year.
What is the weather like in Northwest, Reno?
July highs average about 97 degrees, and January highs near 51 with lows near 25. That works out to about 168 pleasant days a year, more than 82% of neighborhoods.
Is Northwest, Reno good for families?
Schools beat 59% of neighborhoods, crime safety beats 86%, and childcare runs $1,122 a month.
Compare Northwest, Reno with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to Northwest, Reno. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in Northwest, Reno represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
Northwest, Reno detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for Northwest, Reno: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in Northwest, Reno: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of Northwest, Reno: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in Northwest, Reno: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
Northwest, Reno detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.