I’ll never forget telling my classmates in 1993 that I was moving to Las Vegas that Summer. “Are you going to live in a Casino?” they asked, eyes wide open in curiosity, anticipating a “Yes” with a fantastic story to back it up.
But, the boring truth was that we were moving to the Desert Shores community in the northwest part of Las Vegas. The lush green grass, mature trees, and artificial lakes stocked with fish make Desert Shores a far cry from the surrounding desert landscape and casinos—a uniquely Vegas attribute.
The story of the Las Vegas suburbs is one of rapid expansion—a fly-by-night city, drawing job seekers for diverse roles across the famous Las Vegas Strip.
Over three decades, I’ve watched the Las Vegas Valley expand, grow, and shape into today’s Vegas, a stable, growing community no longer dependent on gambling. It’s a self-sufficient economy developing a culture—enough to earn two professional sports teams.
Living in Las Vegas today can be as exciting or mundane as you desire. But before you make the move, you should know a few things about Vegas from a local’s perspective.
Skip ahead to
- Get Accustomed to Seeing Road Cones
- Las Vegas is a Cultural Mecca
- The Local’s Dining Scene is Top Notch
- Outdoors Activities Are Endless
- We Have a Great Airport
- The Weather is Unpredictable
- Limited Public Transportation
- Retirees Love Las Vegas
- Low Cost of Living
- Excellent Private Schools
- Picturesque Mountains
- Las Vegas is Always Open
12 insights about living in Las Vegas
There’s no place in the world like Las Vegas. And living in the Valley is a unique experience. The Valley draws residents worldwide and offers tight-knit communities, a wide range of housing, and a diverse job market.
But it certainly has its quirks.
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise Metro Quick Stats:
- Population: 2,265,461
- Total Households: 854,289
- Median Home Price (January 2024): $445,000
- Median Household Income: $63,677
- County: Clark County
#1. Las Vegas roads are always under construction (but traffic isn’t awful)
A running joke in Las Vegas is that our state symbol is the road cone. Living in Las Vegas means adapting to ever-changing traffic patterns while zig-zagging through orange cones.
And mature, main parts of the city are not immune. Expect to see roads partially repaired for months, only to be ripped up and fixed again.
Thankfully, most of the Valley’s roads are on a 4-acre grid pattern, always allowing alternate routes.
Overall, traffic isn’t terrible in Las Vegas. The expected 9 am and 5 pm rush hour exists, but busy casino shifts change throughout the day, breaking up commutes and traffic patterns. Roads have felt busier over the last few years, and the city continues to be popular for migrating Californians, so don’t be surprised when Rainbow Boulevard is slowly crawling on Wednesday at 2 pm.
Bonus: Las Vegas drivers can be aggressive, rude, and often unsafe. Be prepared when cruising around the Valley. For no particular reason, they are always in a hurry, frequently tailgate, and will flip you the bird for their own mistakes. Don’t let it get to you.
#2. Las Vegas is a cultural mecca
A true melting pot, Las Vegas is one of the most diverse metros in the US, receiving an A diversity rating from First&Sold. Due to its affordability (more on that in #9) and robust job market, the metro draws residents worldwide and from all cultures.
Hawaiians call Las Vegas the ninth island. The taxi industry drives a large Ethiopian and Somali culture. Our Chinatown spans six miles along Spring Mountain to Koreatown on Rainbow. It rivals San Francisco and New York, serving fantastic food across every Asian culture with surrounding business centers.
Residents speak nearly every language in the Valley, and finding friends from your culture is well within reach.
Current Diversity:
- White Alone: 43.6%
- Hispanic or Latino: 32.3%
- Black or African American: 11.8%
- Asian: 10.3%
- American Indian: 1.3%
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.8%
#3. The local’s dining scene is top-notch
The Las Vegas Strip is renowned for its restaurants. Billboards along the casino corridor boast famous restaurateurs like Gordon Ramsey, Wolfgang Puck, Giada De Laurentiis, and the legendary Joël Robuchon.
But you won’t catch Gordon Ramsey cooking lobster risotto; that’s a job for the incredible executive chefs who eventually stray away to open their award-winning neighborhood restaurants.
Top Chef alum Jamie Tran serves elevated Vietnamese-American food at The Black Sheep in a nondescript southwest Las Vegas shopping center.
Chef Brian Howard worked alongside Thomas Keller and Kerry Simon before opening the uber-popular restaurant Sparrow + Wolf on Spring Mountain.
The finest and freshest food is delivered daily to the Las Vegas Strip, and local restaurants benefit from it, saving us from Strip pricing and traffic.
#4. Vegas is an outdoor enthusiasts’ haven (for adults and children)
Las Vegas is jam-packed with parks and activities for families. Summerlin, the award-winning master-planned community, offers residents over 300 parks across the 22,500-acre development.
The City of Henderson manages 71 parks, with the balance of the Valley offering over 300 additional parks.
Many master-planned communities offer a pool for residents. Large apartment complexes have at least one pool; even some small subdivisions maintain neighborhood pools.
No pool, no problem. The Valley features two waterparks:
- Cowabunga Canyon in the southwest part of the Valley with 26 rides and attractions
- Cowabunga Bay in East Henderson has 16.
For the outdoor enthusiast, Lake Mead is a short drive for watersports, and Red Rock is a world-renowned location for mountain climbing, road and mountain biking, and hiking.
Lee Canyon in the Mount Charleston range offers five ski and snowboard lifts during winter and a cooler place for mountain biking in the summer.
Within a 4.5-hour drive, you can have toes in the sand at a California beach or be deep in Utah powder in Brian Head in just three.
Additional nearby popular locations to soak in nature include:
- Nellis Dunes, NV: 43 min
- Valley of Fire State Park, NV: 1 hour
- Dumont Dunes: 2hr 17 min
- Zion National Park, UT: 2 hr 20 min
- Grand Canyon, AZ (West Rim): 2 hr 30 min
- Lake Havasu, AZ: 2 hr 45 min
- Big Bear, CA: 3 hr 45 min
- Bryce Canyon, UT: 4 hours
- Joshua Tree, CA: 4 hours
- Sedona, AZ: 4 hr 30 min
#5. We have an accessible international airport
Accommodating over forty million annual visitors requires a large, accessible airport.
Harry Reid Airport (formerly McCarran) is conveniently located near The Strip in the southern part of Las Vegas—providing easy and convenient access off the 215-Beltway or from Tropicana Road and the 15-freeway.
From the furthest stretch of the city, a drive to the airport is only 45 minutes. Most Las Vegas residents can reach the airport in under 30 minutes with manageable ingress-egress.
Aside from a short trip, you can fly direct to almost anywhere from Harry Reid, including many international routes. Excellent for the frequent vacationer and business traveler.
#6. Las Vegas weather is unpredictable (and forecasts are often wrong)
Las Vegas winters do get cold, with a low hovering around freezing. Snow is infrequent, but homes in higher elevations can expect one or two days of light snow dusting. The occasional major storm brings snow to The Strip and lower elevations but rarely sticks for longer than 24 hours.
On average, temperatures in Las Vegas drop 3.57 degrees for every 1,000 feet of elevation. Sitting at 3,500 feet, Summerlin is the coolest area of Las Vegas and 1,500 feet higher than The Strip.
During the blistering Summer heat, every degree counts. Yes, the dry heat makes our 100-degree day more tolerable than Florida’s, but once the mercury passes 110 degrees, hot is hot, and running errands is horrible. And don’t get me started on 120-degree days.
The unpredictability of Las Vegas weather comes during the summer monsoon season. The fierce monsoon rain hits hard and quickly, often bringing flash flooding to the Valley. If you don’t have to be in it, the monsoons are a great break from the heat and provide stunning lightening shows.
Wind has become a more significant issue in recent years, with higher average wind gusts increasing and storms bringing in winds of over 50 miles per hour more frequently. How windy can it get? The worst wind storm in Las Vegas history happened in 1989 with gusts around 90 mph. In 2023, the highest recorded gust reached 67 mph.
#7. Locals lack adequate public transportation
Catching a taxi or Uber from The Strip is a breeze, but the only affordable public transportation for locals is the bus.
The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) offers 39 routes with over 3,600 stops and a 78.5% on-time performance, making it a viable option—and your only affordable choice.
Las Vegas is only bike-friendly within some neighborhoods, but RTC provides bike racks to help riders in between.
The city has yet to announce plans for additional modes of transportation outside of The Strip corridor, and I wouldn’t expect it anytime soon.
#8. Las Vegas offers an expansive retirement community
Retirees have always loved Las Vegas for its dry, warm weather. So it’s no surprise developers went out of their way to provide amazing amenities to attract them.
Sun City Summerlin features 7,779 homes across 2,530 acres. The long list of amenities includes three 18-hole golf courses, multiple tennis and pickleball courts, and four community centers.
Sun City Anthem in Henderson offers three recreation centers, including a 77,000-square-foot center. Residents can access indoor and outdoor pools, golf, fitness, and sports courts.
And not all 55 and older communities are enormous. Toll Brothers and similar builders have developed smaller age-restricted neighborhoods in Summerlin and around the city.
If cruising a golf cart around your neighborhood year-round is a retirement dream, then Vegas and the endless activities and entertainment are for you.
#9. The cost of living in Las Vegas is relatively low.
Living in Las Vegas comes with financial perks. Since Nevada charges no state income tax, the same hourly income could produce more take-home money in your pocket.
Property taxes are also relatively low in Clark County, thanks to a 3% increase cap on the assessed value of owner-occupied homes. New construction and homes previously used as investment properties are taxed at $3.2782 per hundred dollars based on the assessed value (taxed value x .35 = assessed value).
Compared to California, paying utilities will be a pleasant surprise—especially the water bill. A family of four with a pool can expect to pay between $40 and $50 per month to the Las Vegas Valley Water District.
Of course, Vegas has its financial negatives, too.
Auto registration in Nevada is costly. Based on today’s car prices, expect to pay between $800 and $1,300 to register your title.
Cooling a home in the scorching heat is expensive. Depending on the home size, a $500 to $600 power bill is common in peak summer.
#10. Las Vegas has excellent private schools (and a poor public school system)
Nevada ranks #48 in the nation based on school quality, student success, and student safety.
Much of the blame can fall on the Clark County School District, Nevada’s largest school district, and the district responsible for the Las Vegas Valley.
Standardized testing results for the 2022-2023 school year showed just 39% of students met or exceeded the reading achievement goal. In math, only 28% met the threshold.
Due to the poor public school system, the number of well-respected private schools has increased.
Bishop Gorman is a private High School in Las Vegas whose notable attendees read as a whose-who of local celebrities, including the founder and CEO of Station Casinos and former owner of the UFC, Frank Fertitta.
The school’s athletic program is top-notch, and 100% of students earn acceptance into post-secondary academic institutions.
Additional notable top-rated private schools include:
- Alexander Dawson School – 500 students ranging from Pre-Kindergarten to eighth grade
- Faith Lutheran Middle and High School – 1,937 students from grades five to twelve.
#11. Las Vegans enjoy picturesque mountain views
You can love or hate the desert landscape surrounding Las Vegas, but the rocky peaks of our surrounding mountains are unquestionably beautiful—led by the crown jewel, Red Rock Canyon.
The peak of Mount Charleston in the northwest is nearly 12,000 feet above sea level. The high elevation provides excellent summertime hiking and winter sledding. The Mount Charleston Lodge unfortunately burned down in 2021, which was heartbreaking to many of us with fond childhood memories, but a new lodge is coming, and it’s gorgeous.
The McCullough and Black Mountain Ranges border Henderson to the South, providing a dark, rocky backdrop. Haven and Sheep Peak to the North are part of the Desert National Wildlife Range and pass 9,000 feet in elevation.
The mountains provide excellent hiking and great snow-peaked eye candy in the winter, especially Red Rock.
#12. Las Vegas is a 24-hour town—even in the suburbs
Las Vegas ranks number one for most night-shift employees at 16.5% of workers. Thankfully, for most night-shift employees who leave work at midnight, Las Vegas is built to support them.
Need cough medicine at 2 am? Can’t sleep and want a bite to eat? Las Vegas is a 24-hour town with many grocery and convenience stores open 24/7 and all-day dining options available.
There’s no last call; if the bar closes, another one is open nearby.
Final thoughts
Living in Las Vegas is one of a kind: The best entertainment and food in the world and the gambling mecca in your backyard.
Yet, that’s very easy to forget as you adapt to life in the award-winning master-planned communities across the Las Vegas Valley.
Finding the lifestyle you enjoy is effortless while living in Las Vegas. Communities are diverse, ranging from the ultra-wealthy homes of Mark Wahlberg and Celine Dion in The Summit to a Las Vegas Strip Highrise and everything in between.
Even horse-zoned properties with land are accessible in the northwest and southwest parts of the Valley. Or, if you’re one for nostalgia, the Las Vegas Country Club will transport you to the mob era of Bugsy Siegel, Lefty Rosenthal, and Tony “The Ant” Spilotro.
When you’re ready to start touring Las Vegas homes and neighborhoods, we are happy to help. Welcome to Las Vegas. You are going to like it here.
