Pros and Cons of Living in Las Vegas
If you’re thinking about moving to Las Vegas - or even if you’re just new here and want more insight on your new city! - I thought it might be helpful to put together my list of pros and cons of living in Las Vegas. Although I’m originally from Colorado, I’ve been a Vegas local for coming up on 10 years now - so I think I have a pretty good grasp on what it’s like to live here! Plus, my husband is born and raised here, so he’s even been able to show me some things I didn’t know about Las Vegas since we’ve been together.
Of course, these are just based on my personal opinion, so you might not agree 100% with all of these, but here’s my take on the pros and cons of living in Las Vegas!
Pros of Living in Las Vegas
1. Low cost of living
We have a lot of people moving here from other cities and states, so this is something that’s pretty widely agreed upon! I recently wrote a blog post on the cost of living in Las Vegas here. The average home prices here have been hovering around $320,000 - which, compared to places like Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Seattle, and more, is obviously WAY more affordable!
Plus, Nevada has no state income tax, which is just another added bonus to living here!
2. There’s always something to do
Having the Strip here means there’s no shortage of things to do, whether it’s a show, concert, restaurant, shopping, or whatever you’re looking to do! There’s always something new to try, so if you’re someone who likes entertainment, a pro of living in Las Vegas is that you’ll definitely never be bored. But even if that’s not your thing, it’s still nice to have plenty of options for things to do or see for when people come into town for a visit!
3. Places are always open
This one might seem silly, but most places are open 24/7 (or at least way later than in other cities)! Even though that might not seem like a big deal, it is nice if you have to run out at an expected time or get something to eat late at night. You really get used to things being open 24/7 here, because we always forget that not everywhere is like that when we go out of town!
4. Proximity to other cities
For me, one of the huge pros about living in Las Vegas is the proximity to other cities! It’s great to be close to other places, especially if you want to take a day trip (I recently wrote a blog post about my favorite day trips from Las Vegas here!) or get out of town but don’t want to go too far.
5. Not a lot of traffic
Even though Las Vegas isn’t exactly a small city, we don’t have a lot of traffic! Of course, there’s a little bit of a rush hour in the mornings and evenings (especially around the Strip), but it’s nothing compared to traffic in other big cities. My husband used to work on the opposite side of town from where we live, and even during rush hour his commute was only about half an hour.
Cons of Living in Las Vegas
1. Hot summers
Obviously Las Vegas is in the desert, and that means hot summers. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the heat, so this is probably my number one con about living in Vegas. But then again, I know a lot of people that move here because they love the heat and want out of the cold, so this might be a pro for you!
2. Not many seasons
Tied in with the heat is that we don’t get a lot of seasons here in Vegas. Growing up in Colorado, I do miss having more of a spring and fall. We do get a short period of those, but winter and summer definitely last longer, with a quick transition in the middle. Then again, we get sun the majority of the year, so it’s a tradeoff!
3. Lack of greenery
For me, another con of living in Las Vegas is the lack of greenery. Personally I miss having more trees and greenery around and get tired of the desert landscape sometimes. I will say though, Mt. Charleston is only 30-45 minutes away (depending on where in Las Vegas you live), so if you want a change of scenery, it’s not far at all and you can be up in the mountains.
4. Schools aren’t highly ranked
Another potential con, especially if you have kids, is that Clark County’s public schools aren’t highly rated. Of course, there are going to be certain schools that are better than others, and on top of that, we have a lot of options for private, charter, and online schools to consider as well. If you do have kids (or are planning on it), this might be something to consider when it comes to choosing where you want to live in Las Vegas.
5. No specific “Vegas” culture
Las Vegas is known as a “transient” city, which means there’s not exactly a huge Vegas-specific culture because people move here from all over. I will say though, when the Golden Knights (our hockey team) came here a few years ago, it really gave locals something to come together around, and we saw more of a shift in the overall Las Vegas culture.
Overall, Vegas is a really good place to live, and if you are thinking about moving here, I hope my list of pros and cons of living in Las Vegas helped give you a better idea of what it’s really like to live here! If you have any other questions, I’d love to help answer them as best as I can!
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