Pasco vs Sparks
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $376,300 in Pasco and $483,800 in Sparks.
- Sparks has the warmer winter: January highs of 48°F vs 41°F.
- Sparks gets far more snow: 21 inches a year vs 2.
- Pasco is growing faster: +7.1% since 2020 vs +3.2%.
Side by side
| Pasco, WA | Sparks, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 82,848 | 111,902 |
| Growth since 2020 | +7.1% | +3.2% |
| People per square mile | 2,126 | 3,066 |
| Median age | 30.3 | 37.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21% | 28% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $85,586 | $89,056 |
| Median home value | $376,300 | $483,800 |
| Home value to income | 4.4× | 5.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,227 | $1,716 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 100.1 | 101.0 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 94.8 | 123.5 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $75,100 | $75,800 |
| Homeowners | 71% | 60% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 9.57% | 8.24% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.5 | 24.0 |
| Work from home | 8% | 11% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Poverty rate | 12.6% | 8.5% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 41° / 28° | 48° / 26° |
| July high / low | 93° / 57° | 94° / 60° |
| Precipitation per year | 8 in | 7 in |
| Snowfall per year | 2 in | 21 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 55 | 65 |
| Nights below freezing | 112 | 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) | 72.5 | 96.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 79% | 50% |
| Home prices, past year | +1.9% | +3.8% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +33.2% | +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: Pasco: May to June and September. Sparks: May to June and September.
Full monthly tables: Pasco 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 $75,100 in Pasco and $75,800 in Sparks. Moving from Pasco to Sparks, you would need about $75,700 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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