Photo: Blake Everett Carroll, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsLake Tahoe is a set of communities with very different numbers. The Nevada side, the California North Shore and the California South Shore have different prices, taxes and second-home shares, and each one is reached over a different mountain road.
The towns in numbers
Incline Village (Nevada) has 9,272 people, a median age of 47.9, a median household income of $167,069 and a median home value of $1,454,600, with 42.0 percent of units used seasonally. Truckee (California) has 17,066 people, a median home value of $947,900 and 47.9 percent seasonal units. South Lake Tahoe (California) has 21,269 people, a median home value of $682,400 and 35.9 percent seasonal units. Kings Beach has a median home value of $772,100 and 43.6 percent seasonal units.
Those seasonal shares mean many homes are second homes, often closed in off-season. Stateline's 503 people are 92.0 percent renters, a casino-district housing pattern. Zephyr Cove's median home value is reported at $1,750,000.
Which state's rules apply
Incline Village, Stateline and Zephyr Cove are in Nevada, with no state income tax. Truckee, Tahoe City, Kings Beach and South Lake Tahoe are in California, whose 2025 top income tax rate is 12.3 percent. California residents register vehicles within 20 days of arrival and license within 10; Nevada allows 30 days for both. Which shore you pick decides which DMV and tax office you deal with. See taxes for new residents.
Snow, altitude and access
Truckee Ranger Station averages 206.6 inches of snow a year and Tahoe City 179.0 inches, against 20.9 in Reno. Elevations run 6,260 feet in South Lake Tahoe, 6,655 in Truckee and 6,823 in Incline Village. Mountain roads (SR 431 to Incline, US 50 over Spooner to South Shore, I-80 to Truckee) can need chains or close briefly. We plan Tahoe loads around the forecast, and our mountain passes data lists the crossings.
Driving time from our warehouse is 48 minutes to Incline Village, 48 to Truckee, 59 to Kings Beach and 83 to South Lake Tahoe.
Movers who work the mountain
O'Brien's serves Lake Tahoe and Truckee on both the Nevada and California shores. Moves within California use its California authority; moves between Nevada and California are interstate. See Lake Tahoe and Truckee, Incline Village, Truckee and South Lake Tahoe.
Second homes and storage
Because so many Tahoe homes are seasonal, storage matters. Vault storage from $40 per month holds furniture during a remodel or between seasons, and a free in-home estimate comes with 10 free heavy-duty boxes you keep. Call 775-359-6683. See seasonal and second-home storage.