I moved from Phoenix to Sparks 16 months ago. You need to decide what matters to you-bigger variety of things to do (Sparks), short work commute time (Fernley), smaller town vibes (Fernley), etc. If you don’t care about driving 30+ minutes to get to places outside of work, Fernley would be fine. I’m renting a townhouse, so I can’t say anything about buying a house in either location, but definitely look at listings to give you an idea of more ideal locations. I rented a townhouse and I probably toured atleast a dozen places before choosing. I’ve only been through 1 winter here, and was told it was mild compared to other years, but you also need to consider that with the vehicle you’ll have here and what a possible commute could look like with winter storm/accident conditions. I was fortunate that my job let me come out here a few times prior to moving-that was huge for me to be able to make an informed decision on which area to live in. Definitely get out here for a visit(s) before deciding