Las Vegas, Nevada

Just The Right Amount Of Wrong

Las Vegas Skyline
Las Vegas Skyline
The Sphere
The Sphere
Fremont in Old Vegas
Fremont in Old Vegas
Bellagio Conservatory
Bellagio Conservatory

662,000

Population

Sunny Days: 310
95100 Affordability
85100 Schools
100100 Diversity
80100 Safety

LookyLOO Review of 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. Oh, and 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.

Lifestyle

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

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.

Schools

Las Vegas is in the Clark County School District, often referred to as CCSD, by parents, teachers, and administrators. It's a huge district, the 6th largest in the country despite Vegas being much smaller than that by population. It receives just fair grades on the standardized ranking sites, receiving a "B" on niche.com.

Large districts have a common theme, and CCSD is no exception. The public schools are fine at the elementary school level and get hit or miss in middle and high school. Many parents strive to get their little ones into magnet schools once they hit this stage. Alternatives include a significant charter school option or private schools.

Higher-performing schools are a bit scattered with some density in the higher socio-economic neighborhoods on the western and southern sides of the city. A couple of the pearls in the district include:
-Advanced Technologies Academy is a magnet in the center of Vegas and is the second-highest-ranked high school in the state, receiving an "A+" on niche.com.
-West Career & Technical Academy is another high-performer in Las Vegas. It receives an "A" on niche.com and is noted for its project-based learning and tech-immersive culture.

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.

Reviews of Las Vegas from Locals

Beware July and August

powerhikeit
Living in Vegas
1y ago
✭✭✭

Ignoring the Strip…

It’s like any large-ish city. There are super nice areas, nice areas, meh areas, and bad areas. Traffic sucks - but when it doesn’t, you can get anywhere relatively quickly. People supposedly ignore their neighbors (I know all of mine). The medical system is lacking. If you’re outdoorsy, you’ll likely never be bored. Some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere is nearby (Red Rock NCA and Valley of Fire). Food and shopping opportunities abound. Grocery stores have slot machines. It is fucking hot in the summer and the wind blows constantly in the winter. Roads are constantly under construction. The education system — all levels — is poor. Public services are better in some locales (Henderson) than others (City of Las Vegas). We’re 3-5 hours drive from world class skiing in the winter, Pacific beaches, and about 8 or 10 National Parks, Monuments, and Recreation Areas.

It is the best place to live? No. It is the worst? Also no.

For more reviews of what living in Las Vegas is like from locals check out: The Reviews.

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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.