With more than 300 days of sunshine a year, convenient access to Lake Tahoe (just one hour to South Lake Tahoe!), as well as easy travel to Sacramento and the Bay Area (two and three hour drives, respectively), and an enviable 19-minute average daily commute, it’s no wonder Reno was named the happiest places to live in the U.S. and has been recognized in Milkin’s Best Performing Cities.

Target Industries

In 2023, the City of Reno conducted a target industry identification study to determine suitable high-value industry activities and opportunities that Reno’s downtown core* is well-placed to attract.

Each selected industry was chosen for its relevance and significance as knowledge based, trade connected, and downtown-core-appropriate.

Tier 1 Industries

• Business and Professional Services
  • Includes finance, insurance, legal, support services, accounting and regional headquarter operations
• Engineer Services
  • Includes a wide range of engineering areas, related to the support of manufacturing through industrial design and automation services
• Clean Technology (Including Electronic Vehicles)
  • Includes supply chain management, research and development, and headquarters and management operations for clean tech companies

Tier 2 Industries

• Logistics
  • Includes third-party logistics services and operation centers
• Life Sciences
  • Includes direct and ancillary support of clean and wet lab facilities, and research and development, with a specialization in biopharma and medical devices

Tier 3 Industries

• Mining Technology
  • Includes associated engineering functions, site management, and operations
• Computer Software/Hardware Development
  • Includes software and hardware development, and related business headquarters

* The downtown core is defined approximately as the area within a 1-mile radius of the intersection between First Street and Virginia Street.

Opportunities & Incentives Abound

From our tax-friendly environment to the more than two-thirds of Tier 1 University graduates who stay in Nevada and our unparalleled quality of life, the opportunities are endless in Biggest Little City! 

Enjoy NO Corporate Income Tax, NO Inventory Tax, NO Franchise Tax, NO Personal Income Tax, NO Inheritance Tax, NO Estate Tax, NO Unitary Tax, and NO Intangibles Tax.

State of Nevada Resources

The City of Reno works closely with the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) to undertake economic development initiatives within the Reno City limits. Through these partnerships, businesses which are relocating to or expanding in the City have access to incentives and programs that are provided through the State of Nevada:

• Tax Abatements
• Industrial Development Revenue Bonds
• Grants and Incentives
• New Markets Tax Credit Program
• Historic Tax Credit Program
• Non-Traditional Financing

Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy

The City of Reno is a partner in the Western Nevada Development District, a nine-county regional consortium organized under the provisions of the U.S. Department of Economic Development.  The principle task of this consortium is to draft and annually update the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), a necessary component of several Federal Grant application processes.

City of Reno Programs & Opportunity Zones

• ReStore Façade & Tenant Improvement Program
• Brownfield Assessment Grant
• Community Development Map
  • Our interactive Community Development GIS Map allows you to view Opportunity Zones in Reno. Within the map, be sure to select Layers > Reno Special Districts and Areas > and select “Opportunity Zones in Reno.”

Entrepreneur and Small Business Resources

• Nevada Small Business Development Center
• Startup Reno

Workforce Development

EmployNV and the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) work in concert with the local education sector and employers to improve and diversity Reno and Northern Nevada’s workforce. New programs in both K-12 and higher education are under development to create the workforce of the future and position our region to be fully prepared for industrial growth. Recently, for example, the University of Nevada created new minors in the field of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) – an emerging industrial concentration in Northern Nevada as a result of being one of six designated test sites for the FAA’s UAS program – as well as entrepreneurship. Truckee Meadows Community College is expanding its nursing and healthcare programs, another growing industrial sector in our region.