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Moving to Sparks, Nevada

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Sparks, Nevada is a small city located in Washoe County, just east of Reno. With a population of nearly 100,000 people, Sparks is the fifth largest city in Nevada. It is a vibrant and diverse community that offers many activities and attractions for visitors and locals alike.

The city was founded in 1905 by John C. Sparks, who was seeking to establish a railroad line between Reno and Virginia City. Since then, Sparks has grown into a thriving city with an economy based on manufacturing, retail trade, health care services, construction and other industries. The city is also home to several universities and colleges including University of Nevada-Reno and Truckee Meadows Community College.

The downtown area of Sparks has been revitalized over the past few years with new businesses opening up along Victorian Square which features an outdoor amphitheater for concerts and events. This area also includes some interesting museums such as the Nevada Museum of Art as well as galleries featuring local artisans’ work. Other attractions include the beautiful Victorian Square fountain which operates during summer months or visit the nearby Sparks Heritage Museum which offers insight into the history of the town through its collections of artifacts from its early days as a railroad town to its present day incarnation as a modern city.

Sparks is also known for its outdoor activities such as biking trails along the Truckee River or hiking around Pyramid Lake or Lake Tahoe National Forest. There are also plenty of golf courses available for those looking to hit some balls around or just enjoy some fresh air on one of Sparks’ many parks and green spaces such as Rock Park or Wild Island Waterpark which offer plenty of fun activities all year round!

In addition to all these activities there are plenty of great restaurants throughout Sparks offering up traditional American cuisine as well as international flavors like Italian or Mexican dishes – something for everyone! Finally if you’re looking for nightlife then you need look no further than downtown where there are bars, clubs and pubs offering live music entertainment most nights – perfect if you’re looking to kick back after a long day exploring what Sparks has to offer.

Population: 66,346. Estimated population in July 2024: 82,051 (+23.7% change)
Males: 32,784 (49.4%), Females: 33,562 (50.6%)

Washoe County

Zip codes: 89431, 89434, 89436.

Demographics

Median resident age: 34.5 years
Median household income: $45,745
Median house value: $143,700

Population by Race

Races in Sparks:

  • White Non-Hispanic (69.5%)
  • Hispanic (19.7%)
  • Other race (9.1%)
  • Two or more races (3.5%)
  • Black (2.4%)
  • Filipino (2.2%)
  • American Indian (1.9%)
  • Chinese (0.9%)
  • Asian Indian (0.5%)

(Total can be greater than 100% because Hispanics could be counted in other races)

Ancestries: German (16.6%), Irish (13.8%), English (12.7%), Italian (7.3%), French (4.0%), United States (3.7%).

Elevation: 4410 feet

Land area: 23.9 square miles

Population by Education

For population 25 years and over in Sparks

  • High school or higher: 82.2%
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher: 17.8%
  • Graduate or professional degree: 5.2%
  • Unemployed: 4.1%
  • Mean travel time to work: 18.1 minutes

For population 15 years and over in Sparks city

  • Never married: 23.9%
  • Now married: 53.5%
  • Separated: 1.6%
  • Widowed: 5.7%
  • Divorced: 15.2%

15.6% Foreign born (9.7% Latin America, 3.7% Asia).

Population change in the 1990s: +12,156 (+22.4%).

Hospitals

Hospitals/medical centers in Sparks:

  • DINI TOWNSEND HOSPITAL NNMH (480 GALLETI WAY)
  • NORTHERN NEVADA MEDICAL CENTER (2375 PRATER WAY)
  • TAHOE PACIFIC HOSPITAL (2385 PRATER WAY)

Airports

Airports certified for carrier operations nearest to Sparks:

  • RENO/TAHOE INTERNATIONAL (about 6 miles; RENO, NV; Abbreviation: RNO)
  • LAKE TAHOE (about 50 miles; SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA; Abbreviation: TVL)
  • BEALE AFB (about 121 miles; MARYSVILLE, CA; Abbreviation: BAB)

Other public-use airports nearest to Sparks:

  • SPANISH SPRINGS (about 7 miles; RENO, NV; Abbreviation: N86)
  • RENO/STEAD (about 12 miles; RENO, NV; Abbreviation: 4SD)
  • PARKER CARSON (about 25 miles; CARSON CITY, NV; Abbreviation: 2Q5)

Amtrak station:
SPARKS (1100 NUGGET AVE.). Services: fully wheelchair accessible, public payphones, call for car rental service, call for taxi service.

Colleges and Universities

College/University in Sparks:

  • PRATER WAY COLLEGE OF BEAUTY (Location: 1627 PRATER WAY; Private, for-profit)

Colleges and Universities

Colleges/universities with over 2000 students nearest to Sparks:

  • TRUCKEE MEADOWS COMMUNITY COLLEGE (about 5 miles; RENO, NV; Full-time enrollment: 4,615)
  • WESTERN NEVADA COMMUNITY COLLEGE (about 28 miles; Carson City, NV; Full-time enrollment: 2,167)
  • UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA-RENO (about 69 miles; RENO, NV; Full-time enrollment: 10,375)
  • SIERRA COLLEGE (about 117 miles; ROCKLIN, CA; Full-time enrollment: 9,313)
  • AMERICAN RIVER COLLEGE (about 128 miles; SACRAMENTO, CA; Full-time enrollment: 13,984)
  • YUBA COLLEGE (about 128 miles; MARYSVILLE, CA; Full-time enrollment: 5,593)
  • BUTTE COLLEGE (about 129 miles; Oroville, CA; Full-time enrollment: 7,061)

Schools

Public high schools in Sparks:

  • REED HS (Students: 2,328; Location: 1350 BARING BOULEVARD; Grades: 09 – 12)
  • SPANISH SPRINGS HS (Students: 1,772; Location: 1065 EAGLE CANYON DRIVE; Grades: 09 – 12)
  • SPARKS HS (Students: 1,239; Location: 820 15TH STREET; Grades: 08 – 12)
  • ACAD FOR CAREER ED CHARTER (Students: 124; Location: 1150 GREG STREET; Grades: 09 – 12)

Private high schools in Sparks:

  • LEGACY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL (Students: 259; Location: 6255 PERAMID HY; Grades: KG – 12)
  • LIGHTHOUSE BAPTIST CHRIST ACAD (Students: 20; Location: 2655 N ROCK BLVD; Grades: KG – 12)

Biggest public primary/middle schools in Sparks:

  • MENDIVE, LOU MIDSCH (Students: 1,166; Location: 1900 WHITEWOOD DRIVE; Grades: 07 – 08)
  • SPARKS MIDSCH (Students: 930; Location: 2275 18TH STREET; Grades: 07 – 08)
  • VAN GORDER ELEM (Students: 885; Location: 7650 CAMPELLO DRIVE; Grades: PK – 06)
  • BEASLEY ELEM (Students: 871; Location: 2100 CANYON PARKWAY; Grades: PK – 06)
  • TAYLOR, A ELEM (Students: 830; Location: 252 EGYPTIAN WAY; Grades: PK – 06)
  • SPANISH SPRINGS ELEM (Students: 705; Location: 100 MARILYN MAE DRIVE; Grades: PK – 06)
  • DILWORTH, GEORGE MIDSCH (Students: 690; Location: 255 PRATER WAY; Grades: 07 – 08)
  • MOSS, MARVIN ELEM (Students: 654; Location: 2200 PRIMIO WAY; Grades: PK – 06)
  • SUN VALLEY ELEM (Students: 653; Location: 5490 LEON DRIVE; Grades: KG – 06)
  • BENNETT, ESTHER ELEM (Students: 634; Location: 5900 SIDEHILL DR.; Grades: PK – 06)

Private primary/middle schools in Sparks:

  • CHILDRENS WORLD LEARNING CNTR (Students: 125; Location: 2055 EAST PRATER WAY; Grades: PK – KG)
  • WINGFIELD SPRINGS COMM SCHOOL (Students: 64; Location: 6360 SPANISH SPRINGS RD; Grades: PK – 3)
  • HAPPY DAYS PRESCHOOL KINDERGAR (Students: 61; Location: 1231 PYRAMID WY; Grades: PK – KG)
  • HIS LITTLE SCHOOL (Students: 52; Location: 445 QUEEN WAY; Grades: PK – 6)

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