Caldwell vs Sparks
The short version
- Caldwell is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the Sparks area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $367,300 in Caldwell and $483,800 in Sparks.
- Households earn more in Sparks ($89,056 vs $73,058 median).
- Sparks has the warmer winter: January highs of 48°F vs 40°F.
- Sparks gets far more snow: 21 inches a year vs 10.
- Caldwell is growing faster: +27.4% since 2020 vs +3.2%.
- Nevada has no state income tax on wages; Idaho's top rate is 5.3%.
Side by side
| Caldwell, ID | Sparks, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 76,629 | 111,902 |
| Growth since 2020 | +27.4% | +3.2% |
| People per square mile | 3,049 | 3,066 |
| Median age | 31.5 | 37.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20% | 28% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $73,058 | $89,056 |
| Median home value | $367,300 | $483,800 |
| Home value to income | 5.0× | 5.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,264 | $1,716 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 98.4 | 101.0 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 105.6 | 123.5 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $73,800 | $75,800 |
| Homeowners | 73% | 60% |
| Top state income tax | 5.3% | None |
| Combined sales tax | 6.03% | 8.24% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 24.6 | 24.0 |
| Work from home | 12% | 11% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5% | 5.2% |
| Poverty rate | 11.9% | 8.5% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 40° / 23° | 48° / 26° |
| July high / low | 93° / 57° | 94° / 60° |
| Precipitation per year | 11 in | 7 in |
| Snowfall per year | 10 in | 21 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 59 | 65 |
| Nights below freezing | 132 | 122 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Low | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 71.7 | 96.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 50% | 50% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.7% | +3.8% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +25.7% | +30.3% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Caldwell: May to June and September. Sparks: May to June and September.
Full monthly tables: Caldwell weather by month and Sparks weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $73,800 in Caldwell and $75,800 in Sparks. Moving from Caldwell to Sparks, you would need about $77,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Caldwell and Sparks
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Caldwell and Sparks.
Which would you pick?
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