Reno-Sparks climbs US population rankings, Las Vegas holds steady: See latest Census data

• Reno’s metro area population grew by 8,124 residents, becoming the 101st largest in the U.S.
• Las Vegas remains the 29th largest metro area, adding 44,586 residents.
• The fastest-growing metro areas are primarily located in the South, particularly in Florida, South Carolina and Texas.

The Reno metropolitan statistical area grew by 8,124 residents between July 1, 2023, and July 1, 2024, according to the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The latest estimates now put the area’s population at 575,100 residents. That figure pushed the Reno area past the metro areas of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and Portland, Maine, to be the 101st-largest metro area in the United States.

About one out of every six Nevadans lives in the Reno metro area, which is comprised of Washoe and Storey counties. The region represents about 17.6% of the state’s population.

Reno-Sparks has added an estimated 25,285 residents since the 2020 census — a 4.6% increase. Overall, the U.S. grew by 2.6% during that same span.

Las Vegas metro continues population boom

Southern Nevada’s Las Vegas metro area held fast as the 29th-largest metro area in the country following an estimated 44,586-resident increase during the year. Its population now stands at 2,398,871. That puts it just ahead of the Cincinnati and Kansas City metro areas and just behind the Pittsburgh and Sacramento metro areas.

Las Vegas’ metro area is comprised of all of Clark County and includes Las Vegas, Henderson and North Las Vegas, as well as the unincorporated town of Paradise along the Las Vegas Strip.

Since the 2020 census, the Las Vegas metro area has added more than 132,000 residents for a growth rate of 5.8%.

Carson City population stays flat

The population of Carson City, the smallest metro area in the U.S. as defined by the Census Bureau, remained essentially flat at No. 387. The city’s population dropped by an estimated 78 to 58,148.

Since the 2020 census, Carson City’s population has fallen an estimated 494 residents.

The city was recently named one of the top retirement spots in the Western U.S. by Travel and Leisure magazine.

Fastest-growing metros located in the South

While the Las Vegas area grew at a healthy 1.9% in the past year and the Reno area tacked on 1.4%, the most rapid growth in the country was centered on metros in the American South, with four Florida metros, two South Carolina metros and two Texas metros landing in the top 10. The top growth rates from July 2023 to June 2024 were:

1. 4.0%: Ocala, Florida, metro area
2. 3.8%: Panama City, Florida, metro area
3. 3.8%: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, metro area
4. 3.5%: Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida, metro area
5. 3.0%: Provo-Orem-Lehi, Utah, metro area
6. 3.0%: Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, Alabama, metro area
7. 2.9%: Port St. Lucie, Florida, metro area
8. 2.8%: Midland, Texas, metro area
9. 2.8%: Odessa, Texas, metro area
10. 2.7%: Spartanburg, South Carolina, metro area

The metro areas that added the most residents from July 2023 to June 2024 were:

1. New York metro area, 213,403
2. Houston metro area, 198,171
3. Dallas metro area, 177,922
4. Miami metro area, 123,471
5. Washington, D.C., area, 90,608
6. Phoenix metro area, 84,938
7. Orlando metro area, 75,969
8. Atlanta metro area, 75,134
9. Chicago metro area, 70,762
10. Seattle metro area, 66,666