Storey County, Nevada | |
|---|---|
 Storey County Courthouse in Virginia City | |
 Flag | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofNevada | |
| Coordinates:39°27′N119°32′W / 39.45°N 119.53°W /39.45; -119.53 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Nevada |
| Founded | 1861; 165 years ago (1861) |
| Named after | Edward Farris Storey |
| Seat | Virginia City |
| Largest community | Virginia City |
| Area | |
• Total | 264 sq mi (680 km2) |
| • Land | 263 sq mi (680 km2) |
| • Water | 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km2) 0.3% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 4,104 |
| • Density | 15.6/sq mi (6.02/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | storeycounty |
Storey County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofNevada. As of the2020 census, the population was 4,104,[1] making it the third-least populous county, but one of the fastest-growing economies in Nevada. In 2018, over 18,000 people were employed in the county.[2] Its area is 264 square miles (680 square kilometers), making it the smallest county in Nevada in terms of area (though theindependent city ofCarson City is smaller). Itscounty seat isVirginia City.[3] Storey County is part of theReno-Sparks metropolitan area.
Storey County was created in 1861 and named for CaptainEdward Farris Storey, who was killed in 1860 in thePyramid Lake War. It was the most populous county in Nevada when organized in 1861.Virginia City is the county seat. It was originally to be named McClellan County afterGeneralGeorge B. McClellan, who later ran unsuccessfully againstAbraham Lincoln for president in the1864 election. Storey County benefited from the discovery ofComstock Lode silver.
W. Frank Stewart was a silver-mining operator who served from 1876 to 1880 as astate senator for Storey County.[4]
The county population collapsed after the Comstock Lode was fully mined and hit a low of 568 in the1960 census. Since then, its population has partially recovered because of its relative proximity toReno.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 264 square miles (680 km2), of which 263 square miles (680 km2) are land and 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km2) (0.3%) is covered by water.[5]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 11,359 | — | |
| 1880 | 16,115 | 41.9% | |
| 1890 | 8,806 | −45.4% | |
| 1900 | 3,673 | −58.3% | |
| 1910 | 3,045 | −17.1% | |
| 1920 | 1,469 | −51.8% | |
| 1930 | 667 | −54.6% | |
| 1940 | 1,216 | 82.3% | |
| 1950 | 671 | −44.8% | |
| 1960 | 568 | −15.4% | |
| 1970 | 695 | 22.4% | |
| 1980 | 1,503 | 116.3% | |
| 1990 | 2,526 | 68.1% | |
| 2000 | 3,399 | 34.6% | |
| 2010 | 4,010 | 18.0% | |
| 2020 | 4,104 | 2.3% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 4,112 | [6] | 0.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790–1960[8] 1900–1990[9] 1990–2000[10] 2010–2020[1] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 4,104; the median age was 54.2 years, 15.1% of residents were under the age of 18, and 29.4% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 101.1 males age 18 and over. 10.9% of residents lived in urban areas while 89.1% lived in rural areas.[11]
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[12] | Pop 2010[13] | Pop 2020[14] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 3,058 | 3,532 | 3,338 | 89.97% | 88.08% | 81.34% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 9 | 40 | 24 | 0.26% | 1.00% | 0.58% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 44 | 57 | 38 | 1.29% | 1.42% | 0.93% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 34 | 66 | 67 | 1.00% | 1.65% | 1.63% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 5 | 12 | 8 | 0.15% | 0.30% | 0.19% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 5 | 2 | 34 | 0.15% | 0.05% | 0.83% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 70 | 73 | 255 | 2.06% | 1.82% | 6.21% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 174 | 228 | 340 | 5.12% | 5.69% | 8.28% |
| Total | 3,399 | 4,010 | 4,104 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
The racial makeup of the county was 83.5% White, 0.6%Black or African American, 1.1%American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%Asian, 0.3%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 3.0% from some other race, and 9.9% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 8.3% of the population.[15]
There were 1,807 households in the county, of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 20.5% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[16]
There were 1,987 housing units, of which 9.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 87.0% were owner-occupied and 13.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.5%.[16]
At the2010 census, 4,010 people, 1,742 households, and 1,141 families were living in the county.[17] The population density was 15.3 inhabitants per square mile (5.9/km2). The 1,990 housing units averaged 7.6 units per square mile (2.9 units/km2).[18] Theracial makeup of the county was 92.1% White, 1.6% Asian, 1.6% American Indian, 1.0% Black or African American, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 1.1% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.7% of the population.[17] In terms of ancestry, 20.9% wereGerman, 20.1% wereIrish, 11.5% wereEnglish, 7.2% wereItalian, and 2.6% wereAmerican.[19]
Of the 1,742 households, 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.5% were non-families, and 26.0% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.76. The median age was 50.5 years.[17]
The median household income was $61,525 and the median family income was $65,121. Males had a median income of $53,936 versus $34,208 for females. The per capita income for the county was $31,079. About 0.4% of families and 5.6% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 0.0% of those age 65 or over.[20]
At the2000 census, 3,399 people, 1,462 households, and 969 families were living in the county. The population density was 13 people per square mile (5.0 people/km2). The 1,596 housing units averaged 6 units per square mile (2.3 units/km2). Theracial makeup of the county was 93.0% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 1.4% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 1.7% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. About 5.1% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.[21]
Of the 1,462 households, 21.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 25.6% of households were one person and 6.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.32, and the average family size was 2.74.
In the county, the population was distributed as 19.7% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 35.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% 65 or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.1 males.
The median income for a household was $45,490 and for a family was $57,095. Males had a median income of $40,123 versus $26,417 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,642; 5.8% of the population and 2.5% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 4.2% were under the age of 18 and 4.8% were 65 or older.
No incorporated communities are in Storey County.
Technology, manufacturing and logistics are the main sectors.[22] In 2010, manufacturing jobs were less than 500, increasing to over 11,000 by 2019, many of them making battery storage.[23] Logistics jobs increased from 1,300 to 4,000 in the same period.[24] In 2014, 5,000 people were working in the county,[25] increasing to over 18,000 by 2018, mostly in theTahoe Reno Industrial Center.[22] The TeslaGigafactory 1 had been constructed there.
Storey County haslegal prostitution, which provided a significant portion of the tax base. The county is also trying to lure high-technology businesses.[26]
In May 2018, U.S. Treasury SecretarySteven Mnuchin had instructed his staff to accept a tract in the county as anopportunity zone under theTax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, though it had not qualified as low-income.[27]Michael Milken, who had attended multiple events with and given a private flight to Mnuchin leading up to the designation, was already an investor in the tract.[27]
Storey County leans towards the Republican Party, with it voting for every Republican since1980, with the exception being in1992, when it voted for IndependentRoss Perot. It was the only county in the state to do so.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1904 | 627 | 61.47% | 322 | 31.57% | 71 | 6.96% |
| 1908 | 447 | 48.85% | 402 | 43.93% | 66 | 7.21% |
| 1912 | 166 | 19.30% | 400 | 46.51% | 294 | 34.19% |
| 1916 | 403 | 45.80% | 463 | 52.61% | 14 | 1.59% |
| 1920 | 324 | 52.51% | 272 | 44.08% | 21 | 3.40% |
| 1924 | 283 | 37.19% | 209 | 27.46% | 269 | 35.35% |
| 1928 | 185 | 40.57% | 271 | 59.43% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 124 | 33.42% | 247 | 66.58% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 139 | 26.18% | 392 | 73.82% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 224 | 36.96% | 382 | 63.04% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 163 | 48.51% | 173 | 51.49% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 187 | 48.20% | 184 | 47.42% | 17 | 4.38% |
| 1952 | 206 | 58.03% | 149 | 41.97% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 226 | 60.11% | 150 | 39.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 203 | 54.86% | 167 | 45.14% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 172 | 39.72% | 261 | 60.28% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 222 | 50.00% | 172 | 38.74% | 50 | 11.26% |
| 1972 | 508 | 69.21% | 226 | 30.79% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 274 | 43.08% | 310 | 48.74% | 52 | 8.18% |
| 1980 | 460 | 58.75% | 222 | 28.35% | 101 | 12.90% |
| 1984 | 570 | 66.74% | 252 | 29.51% | 32 | 3.75% |
| 1988 | 651 | 56.36% | 432 | 37.40% | 72 | 6.23% |
| 1992 | 458 | 30.15% | 488 | 32.13% | 573 | 37.72% |
| 1996 | 705 | 42.60% | 614 | 37.10% | 336 | 20.30% |
| 2000 | 1,014 | 56.40% | 666 | 37.04% | 118 | 6.56% |
| 2004 | 1,253 | 57.80% | 871 | 40.18% | 44 | 2.03% |
| 2008 | 1,247 | 51.57% | 1,102 | 45.57% | 69 | 2.85% |
| 2012 | 1,321 | 57.09% | 920 | 39.76% | 73 | 3.15% |
| 2016 | 1,616 | 63.17% | 752 | 29.40% | 190 | 7.43% |
| 2020 | 1,908 | 66.32% | 902 | 31.35% | 67 | 2.33% |
| 2024 | 2,108 | 68.55% | 913 | 29.69% | 54 | 1.76% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 1,964 | 64.22% | 919 | 30.05% | 175 | 5.72% |
Places adjacent to Storey County, Nevada | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofStorey County, Nevada,United States | ||
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| CDP |  | |
| Unincorporated community | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in adjacent county or counties. | |
39°27′N119°32′W / 39.45°N 119.53°W /39.45; -119.53
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