Nick Tscheekar spends most of his days knee-deep in numbers – datasets that he hopes will help people in Washoe County better understand what’s happening with local issues important to them. He’s the executive director of Truckee Meadows Tomorrow, a nonprofit that’s been keeping a close eye on the region’s quality of life data for almost 30 years. “I think it can be tough sometimes as a community member to know what’s really happening,” he told 2 News Nevada, later adding, “I really see TMT as sort of being this bridge between what matters most to the community when it comes to quality of life, and then what’s really happening. How are we actually doing? Data really tells that story that goes back and forth.” And the data that he’s following is impressive in size – over 500 local indicators that measure the economy, environment, public health, the arts, and more.

For example, browse TMT’s website, and you might learn that the average commute time in Reno and Sparks is 22 minutes. There were 94 parks and playgrounds across the county in 2024. And the region spent 47 weeks in moderate drought conditions in 2021.

Tscheekar says the numbers aren’t just interesting – they’re important for anyone making high-stakes decisions across the region. An outside business owner might browse TMT’s data on the economy and education to decide whether Northern Nevada is the right place to set up shop. Government leaders can look at TMT’s numbers on housing and homelessness to get an idea of whether investments in social programs are paying off.

"Data can be that center-point that really unifies us, that grounds us,” he told 2 News Nevada. “And then we can start to figure out how to make a difference in the community?" He agreed that TMT’s annual community progress report is like a ‘report card,’ helping residents understand at a glance how the county is doing. Follow this link to browse the data on TMT’s website.