A six-figure income and a struggle to afford a house in a Nevada battleground county

Home prices in Washoe County , Nevada , have jumped 46% since 2019 to $ 580,000 , according to data from Redfin .

Prices have far outpaced middle-class incomes, mortgage rates are at their highest levels in more than two decades .

The county is one of the few swing spots on the deeply divided Nevada electoral map, where voters in the Las Vegas area swing heavily for Democrats .

Among those in the Reno area, more than half were paying over 30% of their income on rent and utilities.

Neither party has made talking about the issue of housing a top priority, analyst says.

Donald Trump’s campaign has said he would lower housing costs by encouraging the construction of new housing on the peripheries of cities and suburban areas.

At current home prices and interest rates, the average wage worker in all but two industries is unable to afford the median-priced home in Washoe County .

That includes many working in the hospitality industry, which is the county’s largest employer with a median wage of $ 16 an hour plus tips.

Local officials said housing has become the No. 1 issue they are hearing about from voters.