Carson City sees 3.9% increase in December taxable sales; state up 10.2%

Driven by a 37 percent increase in accommodations, statewide taxable sales rose 10.2 percent in Dec., 2014.

Total sales in the state topped $4.86 billion with 12 of the state’s 17 counties reporting increases over Dec., 2013.

Carson City businesses reported $78.9 million in sales, a 3.9 percent increase.

But the surrounding counties in western Nevada did significantly better. Douglas was up 21.3 percent, Washoe (8.2 percent), Churchill (17.7 percent) and Lyon (7 percent) also saw nice increases.

Carson City would have done much better in total sales except the capital’s largest sales tax generator, auto sales, actually fell 10 percent to $16.9 million.

That was largely offset by a 56.8 percent increase in building materials sales which reported $7.1 million. Accommodations generated a 21.7 percent increase to $41,060.

In Churchill, auto sales increased 21.5 percent. The repair and maintenance category saw a 264 percent increase to $2.55 million and administrative and support services increased 213 percent to $1.13 million. Total reported sales were $34.3 million. Again, accommodations, while a small number, were up significantly — 72.7 percent to $20,978.

Douglas reported a 54.6 percent increase in wholesale durable goods to $4.27 million, 22.3 percent increase in auto sales and a 15.6 percent increase to $9.67 million by food services and drinking places — Douglas’s largest tax generator. Total sales were $65.8 million. Accommodations were up an astronomical 12,000 percent to $981,078.

Lyon County reported a 25 percent increase in auto sales and a 23.8 percent increase in building material sales. Total sales were $33.2 million.

In Washoe County, wholesale durable goods rose 20.8 percent to $43.3 million, specialty trade contractors 65 percent to $1.16 million, building material sales 21.4 percent to $28.1 million and professional, scientific and technical services nearly 80 percent to $33.8 million. Total sales were $675.6 million.

Clark County reported a 10.9 percent increase to $3.6 billion with accommodations reporting a 33.7 percent rise to nearly $16 million.