662,000
Population
Sunny Days: 310
49100 Affordability
80100 Schools
64100 Diversity
70100 Safety
While I was busy hating Vegas, and hiding from Vegas, a funny thing happened. I grew to love Vegas.
-J. R. Moehringer
Las Vegas, Nevada
Just The Right Amount Of Wrong
Las Vegas Skyline
The Sphere
Fremont in Old Vegas, Credit: Juliana Malta
Bellagio Conservatory, Credit: Luis Garcia
The Best Thing About Las Vegas?
Low cost of living and no sales tax.
Vegas features an ultra-reasonable cost of living, with affordable prices on everything from housing to utilities to groceries as compared to most major cities across the nation. If you’re moving to Vegas from a high-cost city, prepare to be thrilled.
But, if you’re looking for work, beware. The service sector job market has suffered and wages are not great not to mention, the Clark County school district is not impressive.
Here's a local on living here:
My two kids are going to a charter school that has amazing numbers and I got them into an awesome tutoring class so they can keep up their Chinese language skills. (Before they went to a Chinese speaking school and there aren’t any here)
The house we bought was a fraction of what we would pay anywhere in the Bay Area and our neighbors seem nice with kids playing nicely at the field up the street and kids biking/scootering around. We also have a community pool that will open in spring with covid guidelines. I haven’t met them but I’m sure that’s probably a covid thing.
For more reviews of what living in Las Vegas is like from locals check out: The Reviews.
The Worst Thing About Las Vegas?
July and August
Yeah yeah, the humidity is non-existent but peak summer is brutal. Vegas can be unforgiving. There are plenty of “desert rats” around -- old, salty, bitter people. It’s not all fun and games.
Here's a local on living with the heat:
Las Vegas is in the Mojave desert. It is always this hot in the summer. That part is not global warming. The global warming part is that there are more days over 110 now. We drink lots of water or tequila depending on which part of town you are in.
For more reviews of what living in Las Vegas is like from locals check out: The Reviews.
Lifestyle Of Las Vegas
The lifestyle elephant in the room is the idea that everyone in Vegas spends their time gambling. Given that the house always wins, that is statistically impossible. No one could afford to stay here if everyone gambled all the time. So, if you aren’t gambling all the time what do people do? For starters it may surprise some that Vegas is a huge city for families. Inexpensive real estate, no state income tax, warm weather, and exploding housing developments dedicated to serving families are pulling them in.
Vegas is a bit odd though in that if you avoid the strip then it is much more like a huge suburb than anything else. If the lifestyle you seek is suburban, OR if you want to get into the gambling / tourist industry lifestyle then you’ll do fine here. If you’re looking for the “downtown” lifestyle of a conventional city not connected to gambling culture you have to work much harder to find it in Las Vegas.
Check out the Vegas calendar of events. There is really no city on the planet that can match the volume of activities.
Worklife Of Las Vegas
Obviously the Travel/Tourism (including gambling) industry is a dominant employer in Vegas but the largest employers are actually in national defense. Nellis Air Force Base employs both military and civilian employees in the flying wing of the Air Force and the USAF Weapons School. There are also a large number of jobs in health and medicine. UNLV offers training in public health and has a big research lab component and this has attracted employers. Tech/IT has also grown in Vegas as companies from California have moved or started here for tax advantages. Ultimately though most move here to directly or indirectly work in the Tourism/Gambling industry.
The majority of the workforce here will need to work in person but you can also anticipate growth in population for those looking for inexpensive real estate who will work from home. This growth is likely to come from families from California looking for less expensive housing who are now full-time wfh’ers.
Why You Should Move Here Now?
Home prices, low property taxes and affordability.
Whether you’re a first time home buyer (because you couldn’t afford to get into the market in your hometown) or you want a 4 bedroom, 2,500 SF house in the low $300ks, a move to Vegas is an instant raise in the money you get to keep and the distance that it goes.
Living in Las Vegas
Neighborhoods in Las Vegas
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Neighborhoods
First of all, forget about The Strip. That’s for tourists. More and more people are streaming into a revitalized Downtown (much revitalized by Zappo’s and it’s founder.) Many locals live in Summerlin or 18b, a mix of nice housing and a variety of boutique and vintage shopping and restaurants. Otherwise, the more conservative dwellers go for planned communities like Henderson (with homes and condos and tennis courts) or upscale gated communities like Seven Hills or The Scotch 80s. Finally, if you’re really looking for seclusion (and a 30 degree drop in temps) check out Mount Charleston.
Downtown/Arts District
Young Professionals
Probably the coolest place to live in Vegas is downtown in the Arts District. For those not in the know, Downtown is where the hot casinos were many decades ago before the newer casinos were built uptown, creating the modern “strip”. The Art Districts and downtown combine “old school cool” and contemporary city culture. There are plenty of newer apartment/condo options and plenty of bars/restaurants amidst the older casinos in the area. Interestingly there are also a number of new live/work/play buildings in the area that serve the growing community of people looking for the combination of apartment/loft + wework style area + social culture in the building. One option outside of downtown is Summerlin. It’s a neighborhood and master-planned community in southwest Las Vegas that has its own commercial district and plenty of apartments and rentals.
- Downtown (Arts District in particular)
- Summerlin
- Spring Valley
- Huntridge
Henderson
Young Families
Henderson, while technically a suburb of Vegas, draws tons of families who work in Vegas. A big commercial district without the gambling/tourism bias you get a more classic city/commercial and suburb experience with inexpensive housing and good-sized yards. Tons of shops, restaurants and family amenities make it a fun choice as well. Summerlin has many of the same benefits as Henderson. It is suburban with great parks and inexpensive housing but also has tons of great coffee shops and some restaurant options.
- Henderson
- Summerlin
- Spring Valley
- Southwest
The Ridges
Established Families
Within neighborhoods like Summerlin are pockets of wealth where families of more means live. In Summerlin that area is The Ridges. It’s one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in all of Vegas with huge, fabulous homes and big yards and gated privacy. It’s located in the foothills of the the stunning Red Rock Conservation Area and has the best views in the Las Vegas valley.
Southern Highlands is another beautiful neighborhood development in the foothills of Vegas. It surrounds the Southern Highlands Golf Club and has beautiful parks, trails and outdoor space. It has its own boutique shopping area with restaurants and coffee shops. Finally, it has some of the best public and private schools in the area and is near McCarran International and Henderson Executive Airports in case getting out of town quickly is one of your things.
- The Ridges (Summerlin)
- Southern Highlands
- Summerlin North
- Tule Springs
- Sheep Mountain
Spring Valley
Retirees
Las Vegas is a premier destination for retirees. Warm, dry heat, low taxes and generally low cost of living drive the growth. There are plenty of options here including neighborhoods like Spring Valley that appeal to retirees due to low crime rates, affordable housing and a close-knit community.
The city also has a number of popular age-restricted communities. Ardiente, in North Las Vegas is a 55+ community with lots of the amenities retirees are looking for. A 20,000 square foot clubhouse with multiple pools and a beautiful fitness center that also hosts the myriad clubs community members can join. Ardiente also has multiple parks, including one for the doggos, and walking and biking trails with 20 different fitness stations along the path.
- Spring Valley
- Henderson
- Macdonald Ranch
- Ardiente