And the Survey Says … Reno City Hall Hears Only What They Want To
Community Survey Results Webinar to review these results is on October 15, 2025 at 2PM. Listening to the city’s spin on these results should prove amusing.
Ah yes, another City of Reno survey — because when in doubt, survey it out. The city’s population has climbed to roughly 281,537 residents, up from 264,165 in 2020 — a 6.25% jump.
So with nearly 280,000 people calling Reno home, one might think the city would listen to them without another taxpayer-funded “what do you think?” poll. But no, Reno loves a survey like it loves a ribbon-cutting — plenty of photo ops, not much follow-up.
Out of 281,537 residents, a grand total of 3,247 responded — barely 1.1% of the population. But sure, let’s call that a “success.”
So, while fewer than two percent of Reno’s residents chimed in, the city now claims:
63.6% have a positive view of Reno as a place to live,
56.7% like it as a place to visit,
51.5% think it’s a good place to work,
72.1% praise fire services, and
62.5% give high marks to 911.
With numbers like that (and a sample size that wouldn’t pass a high school stats quiz), the city can pat itself on the back for a “job well done” — while ignoring the residents who actually show up, speak out, and ask for change, but hey, the City of Reno will tell you that is just a small amount of the population, you know - just like their poll.
These are the same residents who said no to master plan changes at Rancharrah, no to a towering apartment complex at the old Lakeridge Tennis Club, and no to “affordable housing” crammed onto Reno Avenue. Add to that the uproar over accessory dwelling units doubling as short-term rentals, another development at Mt. Rose and Plumas to dwarf the neighborhood, and the latest twist — StoneGate going back to its industrial roots after years of pretending to be a housing development - but the City of Reno has yet to listen to the voices of the residents in North Valley.
Why listen to citizens when you can just run another survey?
And while we’re on the topic of ignoring residents — maybe the City should poll residents on whether Councilmember Devon Reese should keep his seat after his recent tirades from the dais, and at the Nevada Commission on Ethics. Something tells us that survey would get a much higher response rate.
So congratulations, Reno. Less than two percent of your residents spoke, and somehow City Hall heard only what it wanted to.