September sales up 5.1 percent statewide but nearly 14 percent in Carson

Statewide taxable sales totaled $4.45 billion in September, a 5.1 percent increase.

But things were much better in Carson City, which reported a 13.9 percent increase in taxable sales for the month.

Several major categories showed double-digit increases in the capital, led by a 19.6 percent increase in motor vehicle sales to $22.5 million. That is more than a quarter of the total $80.16 million in sales for Carson City.

In addition, building material sales were up 40.8 percent to $8.55 million, furniture sales by 48.3 percent to more than $1 million and clothing/accessory sales by 153 percent to more than $1 million. Food and drinking establishments saw an 11.8 percent increase to $8.7 million and, finally, miscellaneous manufacturing increased more than 226 percent to $1.57 million.

Carson wasn’t the only reporting area with a strong September performance. Most of Western Nevada did well.

Douglas County saw an 11.1 percent increase to $61.3 million. Again, auto sales were important, notching a 32.8 percent increase to $2.67 million.

But the real driver in Douglas County came from the casinos at South Shore as food services and drinking places reported a 51.2 percent increase to $17.7 million in September.

Washoe County had a 12.3 percent overall increase — $633.3 million — with auto sales accounting for $92.2 million, a 17.3 percent rise compared to September 2014. Building materials sales were double-digit as well, $35.7 million total for a 10.3 percent increase, as was food services and drinking places with $92.8 million, a 14.4 percent increase.

Storey County, buoyed by the booming growth at the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center, reported an 83.6 percent increase in total sales to more than $19 million.

Churchill County, however, had a rough month. Taxable sales were down 16 percent compared with a year ago to $19.36 million.

Lyon County didn’t enjoy the solid increases of some other parts of western Nevada but, nonetheless, finished up 2.9 percent for the month at $31.47 million.

Clark County was up but only by a modest 4.8 percent. Taxable sales there totaled $3.3 billion in September.