About Sun Valley, Nevada

Last updated on August 17th, 2025

Sun Valley is a census-designated place (CDP) in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. (This indicates that Sun Valley is an unincorporated suburb of Reno. The term ‘unincorporated’ means “without a local, self-governing municipal government.”) The population was 21,178 at the 2020 census, but estimated at 22,697 in 2023. Sun Valley, NV is north of Reno and is part of the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area, located around coordinates: 39°35′47″N 119°46′34″W.

Geography

The Sun Valley, Nevada community is located approximately three miles north of Reno, NV on Nevada State Route 443. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 14.9 square miles (38.6 km²), all land. Sun Valley is surrounded on all sides by low, rolling hills populated with desert flora such as sagebrush and juniper trees.

2000 Demographic Picture

As of the U.S. Decennial Census of 2000, there were 19,461 people, 6,380 households, and 4,816 families living in the CDP. The population density was 1,297.2 inhabitants per square mile (500.9/km²). There were 6,703 housing units at an average density of 446.8 per square mile (172.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 79.78% White, 2.20% African American, 1.93% Native American, 2.21% Asian, 0.62% Pacific Islander, 9.51% from other races, and 3.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21.13% of the population.

There were 6,380 households, out of which 40.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 15.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.05 and the average family size was 3.39.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 30.8% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $41,346, and the median income for a family was $43,103. Males had a median income of $30,804 versus $24,059 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $15,171. 10.5% of the population and 6.8% of families were below the poverty line. 13.1% of those under the age of 18 and 5.2% are 65 or older.

2020 & 2023 Demographic Updates

As of the U.S. Decennial Census of 2020, there were 21,178 total people, with 6,941 total households living in 6,807 total housing units. Hispanic or latino ethnicity is reported as 10,728 residents (of any race). The 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates puts the total population at 22,697.

According to the ACS, the employment rate is approximately 59.7%, with a median household income of $76,108, which is on par with Nevada residents as a whole ($76,364). Education attainment for Sun Valley, Nevada residents (over the age of 24) shows 9.5% with a bachelor’s degree or higher, 8.4% with associate’s degrees, and 19.5% with some college. Sun Valley residents with health care coverage are estimated at 83.6%.

35.1% of households in Sun Valley speak a language other than English at home—mainly Spanish, other Indo-European languages, and Asian and Pacific Islander languages. 80% of Sun Valley residents are native USA-born, with a 20% foreign-born population. Of the 20% foreign-born population, 40.1% are naturalized U.S. citizens.

Sun Valley has a generally young population, with only 12% being age 65 years or older. The median age of Sun Valley, NV residents is 33.2. Military veterans comprise 5% of the Sun Valley population. Of the 5% veterans, 95.5% are male, and 4.5% are female.

Poverty in Sun Valley sits at 15.4% of residents, with 14.7% of those under the age of 18, 14.4% being between the ages of 18 and 64, with the largest group of 21.4% being those aged 65+.

The commuting average (travel time to work) for Sun Valley workers (ages 16+) is 26.3 minutes, with 70.6% of workers driving alone by car, and another 21.8% carpooling. Public transportation accounts for only 1.2%, while another 1.1% walk or ride bicycles. Another 2.2% take taxicabs, motorcycles, or other means. 3.2% of workers work from home.

The median gross rent in Sun Valley is $1,161, considerably less than the Nevada median of $1,622. However, 72.2% of all Sun Valley residents are homeowners, much higher than the Nevada statewide homeownership rate of only 60.4%. As of the 2000 census, there were 6,807 total housing units in Sun Valley, of which only 282 were vacant. 20.8% of homes in Sun Valley are occupied housing units with 4+ bedrooms.

13.8% of the Sun Valley population is disabled (which is less than the Nevada statewide disabled population of 14.7%), including difficulty hearing, difficulty seeing, cognitive difficulty, ambulatory difficulty, self-care difficulty, and independent living difficulty.

Average family size in Sun Valley is 3.76 persons. The largest average marital status of 45.25% for Sun Valley residents is married (not separated), followed by 33.6% single (never married), 13.55% divorced, 6.3% widowed, and only 1.3% separated.

Ethnicity (nationality, culture, language):

• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 50.6%
• Not Hispanic or Latino: 49.3% (includes Jewish, Irish, Basque, Native American, etc.)

Race (genetic, physical traits):

• White (one race): 47.4%
• Some other race (one race): 28.5%
• Two or more races: 16.6%
• Asian (one race): 1.7%
• Black/African American (one race): 1.2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (one race): 1.1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (one race): <1%

Statistics

Sun Valley is located in Washoe County, within the State of Nevada, USA.

Area: 14.9 sq mi (38.6 km², all land)
Elevation: 4,725 ft (1,440 m)
Population: 22,697 (2023)
Pop. Density: 1,453.14/sq mi (561.07/km²)

Sex ratio: 51.1% male to 48.9% female

Time Zone:

• UTC−8 (Pacific Standard Time, PST)
• UTC−7 during Daylight Savings Time (Pacific Daylight Time, PDT)

ZIP Code: 89433
Area Code: 775
FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) Code: 32-71600
GNIS (Geographic Names Information System) Feature ID: 848697

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