Economics Commons^™

Metro Monitor 2026: Las Vegas And Reno, Nevada, Kevin Yang, Lara Karaalp, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet presents economic growth performance indicators in the Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV and Reno, NV metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), using data provided by the Brookings Institution’s Metro Monitor 2023  and 2026. The Metro Monitor explores five indicators of economic performance over ten year periods: the 2023 report provides data measuring the period from 2011 to 2021, while the 2026 report provides data measuring the period from 2014 to 2024. The Metro Monitor reports data on growth, prosperity, economic inclusion, racial inclusion, and geographic inclusion across 196 MSAs in the U.S.

Child Care Deserts In Mountain West Congressional Districts, 2024, Cason Noll, Yash Kalla, Yiselle Olivas Ruiz, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet presents data on child care deserts across 28 congressional districts in the five Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah as of 2024. The percentage of young children residing in a child care desert and the urban, suburban, or rural designation of each congressional district are included. The Center for American Progress (CAP) report, ‘America’s Child Care Crisis Leaves Many Families Without Access to Licensed Care,’ includes data on all 435 U.S. congressional districts.

Average Earnings Of Undergraduate Certificate Graduates In The Mountain West, 2024, Devin Streuter, Kahlen Coss, Kevin Yang, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Higher Education

This fact sheet presents data on the average earnings of undergraduate certificate program graduates in 2024 dollars compared to the average earnings of high school (HS) graduates in five Mountain West states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The fact sheet reports information on the number of undergraduate certificate programs, number of graduates, the most popular certificate programs, and earnings premiums for each state. Published by Open Campus in collaboration with The Higher Education Analytics (HEA) Group, the fact sheet reports data originally published through the “Certificate Earnings Explorer."

Middle Class Affordability In The Mountain West, 2023, Kian Parikh, Krish Sharma, Mohit Pande, Kristian Thymianos, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet presents 2023 data on the share of middle-class households that can afford basic necessities in the five Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The Brookings Institution report, “In every corner of the country, the middle class struggles with affordability,” provides metropolitan-level estimates across all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. This fact sheet focuses on middle class affordability data for the largest metro area in each Mountain West state and, where available, explores middle class affordability by race and ethnicity.

Gross Metropolitan Product (Gmp) And Gross State Product (Gsp) In The Mountain West, 2024, Devin Streuter, Phillip Seo, Zafeen Boulware, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet presents 2024 Gross Metropolitan Product (GMP) and Gross State Product (GSP) data for five Mountain West states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, and selected metros in these states. The data are derived from a report by the United States Conference of Mayors titled, “U.S. Metro Economies Annual Report and Forecast June 2025."

State Investments In Childcare In The Mountain West, 2026, Sophia Booth, Yiselle Olivas Ruiz, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet presents data on state investments in childcare and preschool programs in the five Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. BabyCenter’s 2026 analysis, “These are the best and worst states for childcare,” includes state-level data on childcare accessibility, affordability, public investment, and overall childcare rankings for all 50 states. This fact sheet focuses on childcare spaces per child, income spent on childcare, and state investment per child.

Most Affordable And Fastest-Growing Cities In The Mountain West, 2026, Cason Noll, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Cities & Metros

This fact sheet presents data on the most affordable and fastest-growing cities among the five Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The data are sourced from MoneyLion’s “50 Most Affordable, Fastest-Growing Cities” report, which analyzed and ranked U.S. cities by the most affordable places with large population growth. This fact sheet focuses on the 10 Mountain West cities that ranked within the top 50 and their corresponding 5-year population growth rate, median household income, annual cost of living for both homeowners and renters, and the leftover savings available at the end of the year for …

Manufactured Homes In The Mountain West, 2025, Yiselle Olivas Ruiz, Dre Boyd-Weatherly, Taylor Volk, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Housing & Real Estate

This fact sheet presents 2025 data on manufactured homes in the five Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The Construction Coverage report, “U.S. States Investing Most in Manufactured Homes,” based on analysis from the U.S Census Bureau and Zillow’s Home Value Index, includes data on all fifty states. This fact sheet focuses on the number of manufactured homes, site-built home permits, and the average price of manufactured homes in the Mountain West.

Innovation Hubs In Mountain West Cities, 2025, Cason Noll, Sean Curry, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet presents data on 20 innovation-dense Mountain West cities across Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The CommercialCafe report, “Santa Clara, Berkeley & Tempe Lead Among Western Innovation Hubs,”  uses 15 indicators to rank 63 western cities for innovation hub activity across three categories: employment and talent, education, and business activity.

Hedonics Of Used Car Attributes On Market Price, Alexander Bent, Jason Gutierrez

Undergraduate Economics Working Paper Series

This paper uses Rosen's paper on hedonic pricing as a framework to analyze the determinants of used car prices found in Craigslist. Using cleaned data, we observe over 43,000 listings from 2005 to 2020 and investigate factors that affect used car prices and how they interact in this market. Results show that odometer readings and condition are the strongest factors that determine price, while manufacturers, paint color, drive type, fuel type, size, and year have more ambiguous effects that depend on certain perceived attributes or conditions.

Key Determinants Of Diamond Value, Tobey Brill, Alexander Dobrovolskyi, Rayland Labayog

Undergraduate Economics Working Paper Series

This paper intends to examine the determinants of diamond pricing using a hedonic regression framework. Using the diamonds dataset from Wickham (2016), we analyze the four C’s, also known as carat weight, cut, color, and clarity. We also wanted to go deeper into this topic and look into the depth and table to see how it impacts diamond pricing. Results have displayed that carat weight greatly influences a diamond’s price, while characteristics such as clarity, color, and cut exert positive effects. Estimates were found to be statistically significant. Our findings confirm and reassure the idea that hedonic pricing accurately captures …

Social Determinants Of Low Educational Attainment, Isabelle Graham, Kevin Lieng, Aubriana Weisbach

Undergraduate Economics Working Paper Series

This paper examines how socioeconomic and demographic factors influence low educational attainment across U.S. cities. The analysis estimates both a linear regression model and a semi-log model to evaluate how poverty, unemployment, family structure, age composition, overcrowding, racial and ethnic minority share, broadband access, and housing cost burden affect the percentage of adults without a high school diploma. The results show that poverty, overcrowding, and minority share are the strongest predictors of low educational attainment, each exhibiting positive and highly significant effects. Overall, the findings highlight the role of social factors in shaping educational outcomes in high school.

The Effects Of Neighborhood And Interior Characteristics On Residential Sale Prices, Ella Sophie Hagman

Undergraduate Economics Working Paper Series

This study analyses to what extent certain neighborhood and interior characteristics affect residential sale prices, after accounting for standard property variables. This is important to examine in order to understand the function of the housing market, the sources of price differences, and whether residential values can be controlled by prioritizing specific desirable property features. The study is based on a dataset of approximately 330,000 observations from the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), as well as walkability data obtained from Walk Score. The data is analyzed in Stata, using three regression models with different combinations of explanatory variables. The results show that …

Do Rural Areas Gender-Discriminate Wages More Than Metropolitan Areas?, Ali Gonzalez, Michael Montano, Brandon Sacks, Joseph Williams

Undergraduate Economics Working Paper Series

This study analyzes the gender wage gap in metropolitan versus rural areas using U.S. hourly wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), for the period 2010-2025. The analysis uses regressions on a semi-log wage model and Blinder-Oaxaca decompositions to compare the gaps and separate the effects attributable to explained (endowment) differences from those attributable to unexplained (coefficient) differences. The semi-log wage model reveals a percentage wage decrease for females of approximately 17.4% in rural areas and 9.9% in metropolitan areas. The Blinder-Oaxaca decompositions further indicate that the unexplained (coefficient) component of the gap is substantially larger in rural …

Labor Market Responses To Ai: Measuring Wage Effects Across U.S. Occupations, Kaitlin Pham, Karla Rodriguez

Undergraduate Economics Working Paper Series

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing economies around the world, with some experts predicting an impact greater than the Industrial Revolution. As AI becomes more common in daily life and business, questions have grown about how it might affect jobs, wages, and inequality. The rise of automation and highly capable AI models has made people wonder which occupations will benefit and which might be at risk. This study looks at how exposure to AI technologies affects wage trajectories in the United States. Using occupational-level data from O*NET and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, we build an AI exposure index …

The Structural Limitations Of Mining Output Growth In Nevada, Mckinley Brown, Emma Kitchen

Undergraduate Economics Working Paper Series

This study compares short and long trends in Nevada to the production output within the mining industry. Nevada produces around 70% of the United States gold and about 15% of the world's critical minerals. From its position as one of the most resource rich mining regions globally to its emergence as a growing economic hub, mining played a central role in Nevada's economy. However, despite the industry’s importance, Nevada still faces inefficiencies in production output due to insufficient attention to key inputs such as labor, infrastructure, technology, and energy resources.

Determinants Of March Madness Tournament Advancement, Jace Waldahl

Undergraduate Economics Working Paper Series

This paper examines whether tournament seed and team efficiency ratings help explain how far teams advance in the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Using Bart Torvik NCAA basketball ratings data from 2008 to 2025, I construct a team-year dataset with tournament advancement measured from 1 to 7, where higher values represent deeper runs. The main independent variables are seed, net efficiency, offensive efficiency, and defensive efficiency. Descriptive statistics, correlations, scatterplots, and OLS regressions are used to test whether better-seeded and more efficient teams advance further. The results show that seed is the strongest and most consistent predictor of advancement, but efficiency …

Gme As A Healthcare And Economic Driver In Southern Nevada, Tripp Umbach

Policy Briefs and Reports

In early 2025, the Nevada Health and Bioscience Corporation (NHBC) commissioned Tripp Umbach to conduct a comprehensive study examining the current state and future expansion of physician training and retention in Southern Nevada. The approach recommended in this report is rooted in strategic partnerships among medical institutions, proven funding approaches, and needed policy changes. Tripp Umbach, a nationally renowned private consultancy specializing in medical education expansion strategies, reviewed data, conducted interviews, and developed recommendations to expand GME, highlighting its profound economic impact in Southern Nevada.

Credential Shortages In Higher Education Programs In Mountain West Metro Areas, 2024, Isabelle G. Graham, Kristian Thymianos, Olivia K. Cheche, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet reports data on workforce demand for middle-skills jobs across five high-paying occupational categories: healthcare, management, blue-collar, protective services, and STEM. The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce report, “Missed Opportunities: Credential Shortages in Programs Aligned with High-Paying Middle-Skills Jobs in 55 US Metro Areas,” includes metro-level data on 55 metro areas in the United States in 2024.2 This fact sheet focuses on data for five Mountain West metro areas, including Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO; Las-Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV; Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ; Salt Lake City, UT; and Tucson, AZ.

People Who Moved In The Mountain West, 2024, Anthony Arroyo, Sydney Mitchell, Maisoon Faris, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Cities & Metros

This fact sheet presents 2024 data on state and city-level mobility rates across the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. Point2Homes’ “Mobility Rates Reach Record Low: In 2024, Americans Moved Less Than Ever” report provides data on mobility rates within states, as well as the rate of new residents moving into states and cities across the U.S. This fact sheet highlights mobility rates within Mountain West states, the rate of new residents moving into Mountain West states, and the rate of new residents moving into 63 Mountain West cities. This fact sheet also includes national …

Retirement Rankings In The Mountain West, 2025, Isabelle G. Graham, Mia Tschan, Anthony Arroyo, Kristian Thymianos, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This fact sheet reports 2025 data on retirement rankings in the five Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The Bankrate report, “America’s best states to retire in 2025: New Hampshire takes the top spot,” presents data on retirement rankings for all 50 U.S. states. This fact sheet focuses on the overall retirement rank and individual retirement category rankings for each Mountain West state.

The Price Of Democracy: The Revolutionary Power Of Taxation In American History, Vanessa Williamson

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

As part of the Brookings Scholar Lecture Series, Brookings Mountain West presented a lecture titled, "The Price of Democracy: The Revolutionary Power of Taxation in American History" by Brookings senior fellow in governance studies, Vanessa Williamson.

From tariffs to “no tax on tips”, taxation has often been a hot topic in American elections. What is not commonly recognized, however, is that—from the framing of the Constitution to the decades-long backlash to the civil rights movement—taxes have been at the heart of battles over the breadth of our democracy. Brookings senior fellow Vanessa Williamson discusses her new book, The Price of …

Child Care Costs In The Mountain West, 2025, Cason Noll, Isabelle G. Graham, Mohit Pande, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet reports child care affordability and cost data for the five Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) report, “Child care costs in the United States,” highlights data on the differences in child care affordability across the United States. This fact sheet presents data on the percentage of annual income required to afford infant care for a minimum-wage worker, a typical child care worker, and a median family with children based on state-level income data for each Mountain West state. This fact sheet also reports annual costs, including college, …

The Rise Of The Global Middle Class, Homi Kharas

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

As part of the Brookings Scholar Lecture Series, Brookings Mountain West presented a lecture titled, "The Rise of the Global Middle Class" by Brookings senior fellow in global economy and development, Homi Kharas.

For the last two hundred years, ever since the start of the Industrial Revolution, the most successful economies in the world have developed large, stable middle classes. With globalization, the expansion of the middle class has accelerated to a historically unprecedented speed. But global consumerism is scaling faster than the adaptation of institutions, ecosystems, and social norms. Brookings senior fellow Homi Kharas discusses his most recent book, …

Cash Or Crash: Return To Player Percentages And Expected Value Of Crash Games, Robert H. Scott Iii, Mikhail M. Sher, Jonathan Daigle

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

Crash games are a new type of casino game offered on some online gambling sites. The first crash game was created by the online cryptocurrency casino Bustabit. Other cryptocurrency casinos started offering their own versions of crash games. Now mainstream online casinos have developed their own crash games—notably Rocket by DraftKings. Crash games are easy to learn and play. They offer the opportunity to increase your bet by many hundreds of multiples—though, as we show when deriving expected values, these outcomes are rare. In this paper, we study the history of crash games and calculate theoretical values of crash game …

The Influence Of Nurse Union Size On Nurse Practitioner Full Practice Authority In The U.S., Yusuf Khan

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

The scope of practice for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) is a critical issue in healthcare policy, influenced by both demand for healthcare services and legislative action. This paper examines the impact of nurse union size on a state having full practice authority for nurse practitioners across the United States. Utilizing data from the Nurse Unionization Data Tool and controlling for several variables (right-to-work laws, physicians per capita, and personal healthcare expenditures per capita), this study employs multivariate logistic regression to analyze the relationship between the proportion of unionized nurses and the extent of practice authority granted by state laws. …

The Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Economy In The Mountain West, 2025, Dre Boyd-Weatherly, Sean Curry, Krish Sharma, Kristian Thymianos, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet reports on the artificial intelligence (AI) readiness of five Mountain West metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs): Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ; Salt Lake City-Murray, UT; Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO; Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV; and Albuquerque, NM. Using data from the Brookings Institution's “Mapping the AI Economy” report, the MSAs are benchmarked based on their overall population, employment, talent, adoption, and innovation.

Immigration And The U.S. Economy Under Obama And Trump, Eliz Gevorgian

Political Science Student Research

This paper examines the economic effects of the United States' immigration policy under President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump. Between 2009 and 2017, the Obama administration introduced programs such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and expanded access to student and work visas. These actions coincided with steady GDP growth averaging about 2 percent per year and a decline in unemployment from 9.9 percent in 2009 to 4.7 percent in 2016. The Trump administration, in office from 2017 to 2021, implemented more restrictive immigration measures, including the 2017 travel ban, reduced refugee admissions, increased H1B visa scrutiny, and …

Preparing For The Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Economy In The Mountain West, 2025, Kian Parikh, Taylor Volk, Maisoon Faris, Kristian Thymianos, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet presents data from the Brainly report, “Here Are the States Most (and Least) Prepared to Win the AI Race in 2025” for the five Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah. This fact sheet highlights the national and individual rankings of four key metrics for each Mountain West state: the fixed percentage of businesses using artificial intelligence (AI); the number of AI jobs per 1,000 workers; the number of AI-related degrees per 10,000 people ages 20-24; and federal funding for small business technology innovation per $1 million of gross domestic product (GDP).

Rural County International Immigrant Population Growth In Nevada, 2020-2024, Yiselle Olivas Ruiz, Anirudh Polagani, Mohit Pande, Olivia K. Cheche, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This fact sheet presents 2020-2024 data on international immigrant population growth across 17 Nevada counties.The Daily Yonder report, “International Immigrants Drive Rural Population Growth,” uses U.S. Census data to highlight international immigration patterns for all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan (rural) counties across the United States. This fact sheet highlights data on 13 nonmetropolitan counties in Nevada: Churchill, Douglas, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Pershing, White Pine. This fact sheet also includes data on four metropolitan counties in Nevada: Carson City, Clark, Storey, and Washoe.