The landlocked state of Nevada has a total area of 110,572 square miles (mi²), making it the seventh-largest state in the country. Within this area, 3,225,832 residents (the 19th-most) live.
The "Silver State" features one of the most distinct cultural divides. Roughly 150% of the population is dispersed throughout the state's rural regions, which tend to focus on mining and cattle ranching. By comparison, the remaining 85% live in the metropolitan areas around Reno and Las Vegas, whose economies and cultures center around a unique focus on tourist-focused entertainment and gambling.
Las Vegas is the largest city in Nevada, with a population of 659,348, and is famous for its hotels, casinos, shopping centers, and fine dining. Nevada's capital and 10th-largest city is Carson City, with a population of 59,647. Carson City is classified as independent and does not belong to any of the state's seventeen counties.
Nevada gained statehood in October 1864, one of two states to join the Union during the Civil War. Through 1980, the state had three electoral votes. The Silver State's population has more than tripled since 1980, including 35% growth between 2000 and 2010, bringing its number of electoral votes to six.
Although Republicans were dominant from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, this influx of population has put Nevada squarely into the battleground state category. In 2016, Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump by a margin of 48% to 46%. That year and 1976 were the only two times since 1912 that Nevadans had sided with the candidate who did not win the presidency. In 2020, Joe Biden won by about 2.5% over Trump.
The median age in Nevada is approximately 37.5 years of age. The ratio of females to males is approximately 49.8% females to 50.2% males.
In religious terms, 66% of the Nevada population is affiliated with a Christian-based faith, 5% are affiliated with non-Christian-based faiths, and 28% are not affiliated with any particular religion.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Nevada was:
White: 58.83%
Other race: 11.28%
Two or more races: 10.31%
Black or African American: 9.3%
Asian: 8.34%
Native American: 1.24%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.71%
Muslims are under 35,000.
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