Who moves to Reno: Census migration data

The table below comes from the Census Bureau's state-to-state migration flows, based on the American Community Survey 1-year estimates for 2024. Every figure is an estimate with a margin of error, and smaller flows can swing a lot from year to year.

• Top origin stateCalifornia
• Washoe County inflow from California, per year (2016-2020)about 8,619

Data: U.S. Census Bureau, State-to-State Migration Flows (ACS 1-year 2024).

How to read the table

"Moved to Nevada" counts people living in Nevada in 2024 who lived in the other state a year earlier. "Moved from Nevada" counts the reverse. The net column subtracts one from the other. A positive net means Nevada gained people from that state; a negative net means more people moved the other way, as with Florida and Idaho in 2024.

What it shows for Reno

Nevada-wide flows include Las Vegas, which receives most of the state's newcomers. For Washoe County alone, the Census county-to-county flows for 2016-2020 show Clark County (Las Vegas) as the largest single source, at about 4,392 people a year, followed by Lyon County and several California counties. California as a whole sent about 8,619 people a year to Washoe County in that period.

What it cannot tell you

These are counts of people, not households or moves. They do not say why people moved, what they brought with them, or where in the county they settled. Margins of error are wide for the smaller states, so treat any state under a few thousand as a rough indication.

Using it

If you are planning a move from one of the larger source states, the route pages and state guides carry the numbers for both ends of your move. See moving to Reno and long-distance routes.

Where the numbers come from

The state-to-state table uses the Census Bureau's American Community Survey question about where each person lived one year earlier. The Bureau publishes the results as yearly tables, and each estimate carries a margin of error at the 90 percent confidence level. The county figures for Washoe use the five-year 2016-2020 county-to-county flows, which average five years of survey answers to make county estimates more stable.

Because the two sources cover different years and different geographies, their numbers are not meant to add up to each other. Use the state table to see where Nevada's newcomers come from, and the county figures to see what reaches Reno and Sparks.

Planning a move from a top source state

If you are coming from California, Texas, Arizona or Washington, start with the matching state guide, such as moving to Reno from California, then the route page for your city.