Carson City: Economy

Major Industries and Commercial Activity

Carson City has a growing and diverse economy, with a population that increased by 64 percent between 1980 and 2000. It is the regional retail and commercial center for northwestern Nevada, which is devoted to irrigated farming, livestock raising, and mining of silver and other minerals. It draws from a trade area of about a quarter of a million people with 14 percent of the city's employees working in the manufacturing industry, making it the state's leading city in that category. The city's retail and commercial growth are also expected to continue at a healthy rate.

Since gambling was legalized in 1931, tourism has also been important to the Carson City economy, and the resort city is drawing increasingly more visitors. The service industry is by far the largest in the city representing 30 percent of the local workforce, which includes hotel, gaming, and tourism workers.

As the seat of state government, which meets in the city for two months every two years, and a center for federal government, the government sector employs about one out of four city residents and is the second largest industry.

Taxable sales totaled over $860 million in 2003 with nearly half of that from car and other retail sales. The cost of doing business is about 10 percent less than in Nevada's metropolitan areas, and land and labor costs are also lower. Carson City serves as one of the health care hubs for the region, providing hospitals and multispecialty clinics.

Items and goods produced: calculators and computers, refurbished aircraft turbines, retail display furniture, plastic moldings, plumbing supplies, fiberglass light poles, aerospace components, and welding accessories

Incentive Programs—New and Existing Companies

Local programs

Carson City is able to save employers time and money through the major project review process, and a local one-stop shop that issues building permits. According to the Northern Nevada Development Authority, Nevada does not offer short-term incentives to attract business. It relies instead on having no corporate taxes and no personal income taxes or inventory taxes to make its cities very competitive. In addition, accessible government, a thriving business climate, and sensible regulations also draw business.

State programs

The State of Nevada administers Small Business Administration loans. The Nevada Development Capital Corporation (NDCC) provides more than $3 million from Nevada banks, utilities, and mining companies and other firms to help finance growth opportunities for new and existing businesses. It provides flexible financing to small Nevada businesses that do not qualify for more conventional financing.

The Nevada Revolving Loan Fund (NRLF) offers loans of up to $100,000 to for-profit businesses in need of gap financing to complete business projects. The Nevada Industrial Development Revenue Bond Program makes loans available to qualified manufacturers who are buying land, building new facilities, and purchasing new equipment. The Micro Enterprise Loan Fund works with the Community Business Resource Center (CBRC) to help provide economic self-sufficiency for entrepreneurs through training, technical assistance, and access to credit.

Job training programs

Western Nevada Community College works closely with area businesses in providing specialized training courses for employees. Nevada's "Train Employees Now" program has customized industrial training programs to assist new and expanding businesses in training new or potential employees. Eligible businesses contribute 25 percent of the total training costs. Working to ensure that companies have an adequate workforce is the Job Opportunities in Nevada (JOIN) that offers training and educational opportunities for job seekers; Nevadaworks assists employers in developing employees' skills.

Development Projects

In 2003 the city held a groundbreaking for the new Carson City Freeway that will provide another north-south option for local travelers. The challenging and long-discussed project is estimated to cost nearly $70 million; the 4.8-mile northern half is scheduled to open in 2006. The Carson City Senior Center more than doubled in size to 33,000 square feet with its July 2004 expansion. In the summer of 2004 the Comstock Casino debuted its 9,500-square-foot 100-slot facility and 2002 saw the Ormsby House Hotel & Casino's revival with $20 million in renovations. With a growing population comes an increased need for medical facilities, which will be addressed with the opening of the $132 million Carson-Tahoe Regional Medical Center in late 2005.

Economic Development Information: Carson City Community Development Dept., 2621 Northgate Ln., Ste. 62, Carson City, NV 89706; telephone (775)887-2180; fax (775)887-2287

Commercial Shipping

With a strategic location on two major highway corridors, more than 60 local, regional, and national carriers provide trucking services in Reno. Shipments from Carson City are able to reach nine western states on a next-day basis. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific Railroads provide regional freight service.

Labor Force and Employment Outlook

Nevada and Carson City's abundant availability of skilled workers and the area's moderate salaries have made the area attractive to new businesses. Training programs supported by the state and pro-business policies have helped make Nevada the fastest growing state in the nation with an anticipated 15 percent increase in the workforce by 2010. Local wages are reasonable because the cost of living remains reasonable in Carson City. Nineteen percent of the local residents hold college degrees, and 82 percent have earned high school diplomas.

The following is a summary of data regarding the Carson City area labor force, 2004 annual averages.

Size of nonagricultural labor force: 31,800

Number of workers employed in . . .

manufacturing: 3,100

trade, transportation, and utilities: 4,300

professional and business services: 2,300

leisure and hospitality: 3,900

government: 10,500

Average hourly earnings of production workers employed in manufacturing: $14.60 (Nevada average)

Unemployment rate: 5.8% (January 2005)

Largest employers	Number of employees
State of Nevada	5,000–5,499
Carson City School District	1,000–1,499
Carson-Tahoe Hospital	800–899
City of Carson City	700–799
Nevada Department of Transportation	700–799
Western Nevada Community College	500–599
Carson City Nugget	500–599
Casino Fandango	400–499
Chromalloy Nevada	300–399
Legislative Counsel Bureau	300–399

Cost of Living

The following is a summary of data regarding several key cost of living factors for the Carson City area.

2004 ACCRA (3rd Quarter) Average House Price: $329,876

2004 ACCRA (3rd Quarter) Cost of Living Index: 110.2 (U.S. average = 100.0)

State income tax rate: None; no corporate income tax

State sales tax rate: 6.5% (food and prescription drugs are exempt)

Local income tax rate: None

Local sales tax rate: None

Property tax rate: $2.63 per $100 assessed value

Economic Information: Carson City Area Chamber of Commerce, 1900 S. Carson St., Carson City, NV 89701; telephone (775)882-1565; fax (775)882-4179; email ccchamber@carsoncitychamber.com. Nevada Department of Business & Industry, Office of the Labor Commissioner, 675 Fairview Dr., Ste. 226, Carson City, NV, 89701; telephone (775)687-4850; fax (775)687-6409