Nevada
Nevada’s hot housing market weighs on US presidential election
The gambling district of Reno, Nevada, on May 9, 2024. Reno, affectionately called “The Biggest Little City in the World, is the seat of Nevadas Washoe County. – The path to the White House this November runs through a handful of swing states, among them Nevada, whose six electoral college votes will be crucial in deciding who gets the keys to the White House. The state’s vast rural hinterlands are solidly Republican and likely to all-but cancel out the Democratic vote in the gambling capital Las Vegas. The state’s final electoral color will depend on Washoe County, a long, thin strip abutting California, whose main city is Reno. (Photo by Robyn BECK / AFP)
Reno, United States — Brittnie Aguirre grew up in Nevada and has always wanted to build her American Dream there: owning a home with her husband and three kids.
But rocketing prices wrought by a years-long real estate boom, have priced her — and many middle-class Americans — out of the market, an issue that could weigh heavily in November’s presidential election.
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“We make the most we’ve ever made in our lives, but we struggle more than we really ever have, just because the cost of living is absolutely through the roof,” Aguirre told AFP.
“It’s not even just housing. I mean, have you seen the price of groceries, of gas?”
The economy
Aguirre, 29, and her 31-year-old husband live and work in Reno, a fast-growing city in the western state of Nevada.
The state, which President Joe Biden won by just 33,000 votes over Donald Trump in 2020, carries a relatively meager six electoral college votes out of the 270 required to win the White House.
But in this year’s knife-edge contest between Kamala Harris and Trump, it is one of a handful of battleground states expected to decide who triumphs.
And American politics is nearly always dominated by the economy, making voters like Aguirre important.
She lived with her in-laws for a year-and-a-half to save for a deposit. But even then — and with property prices continuing to rise — more than half the $71,000 post-tax annual family income would be swallowed by a $3,000 monthly mortgage.
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Although Aguirre voted for Biden in 2020, disappointment over family finances will play into her decision this year.
“I’ve never really been a political person until this last year where we have just struggled so much with the economy,” she said.
“This time, I want to do more research on the political parties to make a well-informed decision.”
‘Everything’s on sale’ –
Reno — nicknamed “The Biggest Little City in the World” — is must-win territory for Harris.
The glitzy big city of Las Vegas to the south leans Democratic, while the rolling rural areas of the rest of the state are reliably Republican.
With the two blocs largely cancelling each other out, winner-takes-all Nevada could come down to Washoe County, where Reno sits.
The population here has doubled since 1990, swelled in recent years by an influx of tech workers, following tax breaks to lure employers like Tesla, Panasonic and Apple.
Coming from California, swathes of that workforce have been delighted to find how much more they can afford.
The average house price in Cupertino, California — where Apple is headquartered — is over $3 million, according to Zillow.
A single-family home in Washoe, Nevada is $550,000.
For Matt Mireles, who runs an AI start-up, leaving San Francisco for Reno was “a slam dunk.”
At 43, he bought himself a 1,900-square-foot (170-square-meter) apartment, with a view of the river in the heart of Reno, for $635,000.
“When you come from California, everything’s on sale,” he said.
‘Priced out’
But the bulk of first-time buyers in Reno are from out of state, says realtor Sam Britt.
“And the locals are angry,” he adds.
While new arrivals might consider $550,000 reasonable for a home, that figure is double what it used to be a decade ago.
Add to that the fact that interest rates are near 20-year highs — the result of central bank action to curb inflation — and it puts home ownership out of reach for many.
Fellow realtor Sean Burke notes that a seven percent interest rate on a 30-year mortgage is affecting Americans everywhere.
“The middle class has been priced out of a lot of the homes,” he said. “It definitely could weigh on the ballot box.”
In 2022, the median age of first-time buyers in the United States hit 36, a record, according to the National Association of Realtors.
While the White House has no control over interest rates, and little real influence over inflation, voters tend to blame the sitting administration for their economic difficulties.
And having been Biden’s understudy during more than three years that many Americans have seen the promise of home ownership slip out of reach, that might be bad news for Harris.
Andres Villa, who works for Tesla, says he is faced with steep monthly payments for his own home and is tempted by the alternative.
“When Trump was in office, he said a lot of crazy things,” he said.
“But it seemed like the economy was running a little bit better.”
As Election Day approaches, the latest economic indicators, including decreasing inflation and a likely Federal Reserve rate cut, are increasingly positive.
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That could bring a few voters like Villa back to Harris — and in a swing state, that’s all she might need.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom addressed Nevada Democrats who packed a Las Vegas brewery Wednesday evening for a discussion about his upbringing, his political life and efforts his state has taken to combat the Trump administration agenda.
Newsom, who has been floated as a possible White House contender for 2028, sidestepped a quip from former Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak who introduced him as the next U.S. president amid cheers from the crowd.
“I’m very grateful for your friendship, and a friendship that’s only strengthened over the course of the last year or so,” Newsom told Sisolak.
Book tour stop
The event, which served as a book tour stop for the California governor, was organized by the Nevada Democratic Party. It took place at Nevada Brew Works near Summerlin.
Nevada Assemblymember Daniele Monroe-Moreno, the state party chair running for North Las Vegas mayor, moderated the discussion.
It was part of the party’s Local Brews + National Views series that’s been bringing Democrats for similar discussions at intimate venues. Past speakers have included former President Joe Biden, Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Criticizing President Donald Trump, Newsom spoke about the immediate aftermath of the 2024 general election.
“We were handwringing, a lot of finger pointing, and a sense of weakness,” Newsom said. “And just incapable of dealing with this moment, this existential moment.”
He said he is taking account for what he described as his own complicity.
“This happened on my watch. This is all happening on our watch,” Newsom said. “And so I realized that I needed to be better.”
That included his advocacy to redraw California’s Congressional map after Trump called for the same in Texas, he said.
“They’re not screwing around, nor are we,” he said about Trump and his administration. “All of us.”
‘You’re giving us a voice’
Newsom spoke out against the surge of federal immigration enforcement operations in California and later Minnesota, calls from the Trump administration to nationalize elections, and cuts to government funding due to the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act.
He said that pushback against Trump’s policies, including dozens of lawsuits filed by California, were making the president retreat on some of his proposals and policies.
“You’re filling the void, you’re giving us a voice, you’re giving us courage,” he told the crowd. “For things to change, we have to change. And it’s changing.”
The Republican National Committee reacted to Newsom’s Las Vegas visit. Earlier in the day, Newsom attended a private Boulder City event.
“Democrats are selling out to the spoiled, phony rich kid governor from California for years,” RNC spokesperson Nick Poche wrote in a statement. “President Donald Trump and Republicans are delivering major tax cuts and keeping Nevadans safe, unlike Democrats.”
The national Republican Party also criticized California’s policies, and tied them back to Nevada Democrats.
Most of Newsom’s remarks weren’t specific to Nevada. He didn’t take any questions from media.
Polling shows Newsom and Vice President JD Vance leading in hypothetical races for their parties’ nomination. That includes a survey of likely Nevada voters conducted one by Emerson College Polling in November.
Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – It’s time to “free your heels” and embrace Tahoe’s winter recreation at the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival on March 7. Whether you’re a seasoned pro at cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, or you’re trying to get your feet wet, Saturday’s event is teeming with nature, brews, and camaraderie.
Travel North Tahoe Nevada (TNTNV) is teaming up with Nevada Nordic, Tahoe Multisport, Alibi Ale Works, UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation and other local partners in the wondrous Tahoe Meadows, providing attendees a chance to engage with outdoor recreation experts, check out free cross-country and snowshoe rentals, and more.
“We’re excited to see the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival enter its second year, building on last year’s strong community response. In collaboration with our local partners, this event is thoughtfully curated with residents in mind – offering free equipment for the day, expert instruction, locally crafted brews, and other experiences in a welcoming setting,” said Andy Chapman, President and CEO of Travel North Tahoe Nevada. “It’s designed to make it easy for residents to get outside, try something new, and bring people together. Events like this reflect the spirit of North Lake Tahoe and what’s possible when our community comes together.”
Along with opportunities to test out free demos and rentals, there will be live music, beer tasting and races.
Tahoe Meadows is known for its gentle trails, and is a popular spot for snowshoeing due to its flat terrain. This event, located near Chickadee Ridge, will offer stunning views of the surrounding mountains.
This family-friendly event is on the second to last day of the 10-day SnowFest winter festival that’s been taking place in the North Lake Tahoe area. It starts bright and early at 9 a.m. and will close out at 2 p.m.
“Nevada Nordic is thrilled to be a part of SnowFest again this year,” said Meghan Pry, Nevada Nordic Board Member. “We love sharing our passion for cross-country skiing and watching our community grow. We are proud to keep winter recreation accessible by offering free access to our 20km trail network. This is the perfect opportunity for our community to gather together and free our heels!”
For more information about the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival or to check out the SnowFest schedule, visit tahoesnowfest.org.
A swarm of earthquakes has been rattling a remote stretch of central Nevada near Tonopah, including a magnitude 4.0 quake that hit near Warm Springs Tuesday morning.
Seismologists said the activity is typical for Nevada, where clusters of earthquakes can flare up in a concentrated area. “This is a very Nevada-style earthquake sequence. We have these a lot where we just see an uptick in activity in a certain spot,” said Christie Rowe, director of the Nevada Seismological Lab.
The latest magnitude 4.0 quake struck east of Tonopah near Warm Springs. The largest earthquake in the swarm so far has measured a 4.2.
What has stood out to researchers is the fault involved. Rowe said the earthquakes are occurring along a fault stretching along the southern edge of the Monitor and Antelope ranges — and that it was previously unknown to scientists. “We didn’t know this fault was there. It’s a new fault to us — not to the Earth, obviously — but it was previously unknown,” Rowe said.
For now, the earthquakes have remained moderate. Rowe said the lab would not deploy additional temporary sensors unless activity increases to around a magnitude 5 or greater.
Seismologists said they are continuing to watch the swarm closely as Nevada works to bring the ShakeAlert early warning system to the state. The program, already active in neighboring states, can send cellphone alerts seconds before shaking arrives. “For me, it’s a really high priority. That distance to the faults gives us enough time to warn people — and that can make a big difference in reducing injuries and damage,” Rowe said.
Seismologists encouraged anyone who feels shaking to report it through the U.S. Geological Survey’s “Did You Feel It” system, saying even small quakes can help scientists better understand Nevada’s seismic activity.
Experts said the swarm is worth monitoring but is not cause for alarm. They noted that earthquakes like the 5.8 that hit near Yerington in December 2024 typically happen in Nevada about every eight to 10 years, and said they will continue monitoring the current activity closely.
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