Pros and Cons of Moving to Las Vegas, NV

Quick Stats of Las Vegas

Between the sandstone buttes of Red Rock Canyon and the sprawling gorge of Lake Mead lies one of the world’s most visited, most loved (and loathed), most electrifyingly amped places on earth: Las Vegas. Sin City is 142 square miles of no-holds-barred, blowout, sybaritic gratification that reinvented what the world thinks of as recreation. And, thanks to this, it’s also one of the country’s biggest economic engines. This tiny strip in the Mojave Desert may 13 times smaller than the Grand Canyon, but it receives nearly nine times more visitors than that wonder of the world each year. More than 40,000,000 people descend on Vegas each year, and its GDP exceeds $160 billion. That’s a lot of small bills.  

This fast-growing, fast-moving metropolis is the largest city in the seventh-largest state, and it’s the youngest major city in the West. Las Vegas is now home to more than 656,000 residents — a gain of more than 12,000 in the last four years alone. Families are moving to Vegas for the job market, the tax benefits, the warm, dry climate and the non-stop entertainment. Most American cities only have 24 hours in a day, but Sin City packs a week’s worth of living into every spin of the Earth’s axis, and it can sometimes be hard to distinguish work from play.  

In this untraditional town, residents can find the unexpected at every wedding chapel, slot machine, pool cabana and late-night stage, but you’ll also find plenty of ordinary creature comforts. Outside the Strip you’ll find all your favorite big box stores and tidy communities built around well-maintained cul-de-sacs. There are In-and-Out Burger joints to hit after evening soccer games and even pumpkin patches to pick from in the fall. Lawns may be rocky instead of green and the shrubs may be prickly, but they still bloom. And whether your family is into sports, the arts, hiking, ziplining, mountain biking or fishing, there are activities to suit every mood in this urban oasis in the desert. 

If you think your family might be moving to Las Vegas, learn more about the cost of living, housing market, job market and area attractions below. And learn more about life in the Silver State in our Moving Guide to Nevada.  

The Upside of Moving to Las Vegas 

Thriving Job Market and Economic Opportunities

Despite having a high unemployment rate — 5.1% — Las Vegas’ job market is still something to celebrate. Between January of 2023 and January of 2024, virtually all industries in the city experienced growth, including Vegas’ largest single sector, Leisure & Hospitality, which grew 4% and employed 289,700 individuals in January 2024. In addition to its booming tourist industry, Vegas is a Trade, Transportation & Utilities hub, which employed 215,00 people, and Professional & Business Services — the only sector in the city to lose jobs last year (-0.9%), has 161,600 in its workforce.  

In the Entertainment Capital of the World, you might expect employers like MGM Grand, the Flamingo or Caesars Palace to be the biggest game in town when it comes to putting Vegas residents to work, but the largest single employer in the area is the military. Nellis Airforce Base employs nearly 15,000 workers, and 23,000 military families are stationed here in southern Nevada.  

CSI fans might surmise that Clark County’s workforce must also have an outsize number of law enforcement officials, and they’d be right, as the LV-area police forces employ between 5,000 and 10,000 individuals in this sometimes-unruly city. 40,000,000 visitors are a lot to keep up with on top of the 600,000+ residents, you know.  

Following the military and law enforcement on the Vegas top 20 employers list, it’s a who’s who of casinos, hotels and resorts. But there are some non-gaming industry giants that make their headquarters in Vegas: Zappos, Allegiant Airlines, NV Energy, tech leader Switch and Carroll Shelby International, the engine behind iconic sports cars like the Cobra and muscle trucks like the F-150 Super Snake pickup.    

Tax-Friendly Oasis 

In a city where anything goes, Vegas’ laissez-faire attitude also applies to taxes, and residents won’t pay a dime on personal income taxes or corporate income taxes, either. The Tax Foundation ranks the Silver State seventh in the nation overall, despite its sales tax rate being on the higher end of the spectrum. Additionally, the state offers many tax abatement programs, from reduced rates on personal property taxes to industry-specific incentive programs for aviation enterprises and data centers.  

But while residents may not have to shave anything off of their paycheck in the state, income levels in Las Vegas — where the median household income is $66,356 — are a cut below the state and U.S. averages. Non-family households bring home only $45,786 a year, families bring home $81,748, and married-couple families earn $103,757.  

Note: We are not tax experts and are not offering tax advice, other than you should consider obtaining additional information and counsel from your legal and/or financial advisers who are fully aware of your individual circumstances.    

Diverse Communities and Neighborhoods

There is plenty to love about Sin City beyond downtown and the Las Vegas Strip, and plenty of places to live, too. The areas surrounding Vegas can be as homey and hospitable as any other suburban area in the country, some with luxurious offerings and others within easier reach for young, growing families.  

Sovana is bookended by two hard-to-resist outlets: an In-and-Out Burger joint and the Vegas-area Ikea. Between these two establishments, you will never, ever run out of confusing-to-assemble but well-designed furniture or beef in patty or Swedish meatball form. But these aren’t the only reasons residents flock to this Spring Valley neighborhood southwest of the city. Sovana has a range of housing options, from well-appointed new condos to traditional, four-bedroom single families and modest apartments. The area is less than 30 minutes from the city, so if you work in town, your commute is a straightforward route from 215 to I-15. And you’re closer to weekend fun like Exploration Peak Park and Speed Vegas — a go-karting venue on steroids. Kids (14+) will have to stick to the SuperKarts, which only go 45mph (yes, there’s a roll cage), but the grownups can indulge in real racing action, renting a Ferrari 488 Pista or a Lamborghini Huracan to challenge their favorite speed-fiends in a 5-lap, $550, 200mph+ race against sanity.  

If you’re looking for a neighborhood with built-in amenities from shopping to dining to sports, Summerlin may be your dream destination. This upscale area between Spring Valley and Red Rock Canyon has great golf, great green spaces and even its own ballpark, where the Las Vegas Aviators play. At the Lawn of Downtown Summerlin, you can enjoy annual events like the Tour de Summerlin, the Summerlin Festival of Arts or the Vintage Market Days, where you might find a nifty old botanical print or a velveteen armchair that’s perfect for your office. Every Saturday you can shop the Las Vegas Farmer’s Market at the Pavilion, but all your favorite retailers can be found in the open-air mall, from Anthropologie to Trader Joe’s. Housing can run from the mid-$300s for a smaller single-family stucco to $25M+ for a palatial retreat.   

In the nearby community of The Lakes, desert-dwellers enjoy their own private network of canals, bringing a little Venetian vibe to this landlocked city. Tony, waterfront residences and affordable condominiums offer resort-style appeal, and there are plenty of on-property activities from boating to tennis to make your own home feel like an everyday refuge. But this planned community also has easy access to all the benefits of the outside world, too — organic foods at Sprouts Farmers Market, golfing at Canyon Gate Country Club and Old Spanish Trail Park.  

Note: If you’re thinking of moving to Las Vegas, it’s important to thoroughly research neighborhoods or areas in the city you might be interested in living. Before you decide where you are going to live, make sure you understand the area’s cost of living, commute time, tax rates, safety statistics and schooling information. 

Endless Entertainment Options

Iconic Attractions

Whether you are looking for casinos and live shows on the Las Vegas Strip or a quiet escape into nature, Sin City is full of wild, wondrous surprises. If you’ve never been to Vegas before, you’ll want to at least cruise by the attractions that keep the city famous — the Bellagio fountains, Cirque du Soleil, the Eiffel Tower Restaurant, the Golden Nugget, the sharks at Mandalay Bay. But then there are oddballs, like the Pinball Hall of Fame, with 25,000 square feet of vintage arcade action, or the Arte Museum Vegas, where digital environments transport you into the northern lights or thundering waterfalls.  

Family-Friendly Fun 

Despite its ribald reputation, there are many family-friendly spots in Vegas. It’s just that many aren’t the humdrum variety you find in every other American city. Vegas finally has its own Meow Wolf — Omega Mart — and this incarnation of the immersive art experience born in Santa Fe turns an ordinary shopping experience on its head, inside out and back through time. Behind the seemingly innocuous aisles of slightly-off-brand products lurks another universe — a simple walk through the freezer section puts you on the other side of Alice’s proverbial mirror.  

If you’re even in the vicinity of Fremont Street, your kids will be dragging you to ride the SlotZilla, an over-the-top, slot-machine-themed zipline experience that you can ride if your nerves allow. The “Super-Hero Zoomline” puts you on your belly in a save-the-day flight position, where you’ll careen eleven stories above the ground at speeds of up to 35mph.  

When your children have spent all your money but still demand to be entertained, there is always the free circus at Circus Circus. Every day you can see high-flying action, insane aerials, mind-boggling juggling and gravity-scoffing feats with wheels and ladders. Be warned, four clowns will also make amusing/haunting appearances. And when the kids try to shake you down for tickets to the venue’s super-fun Adventuredome, just remind them that you have no more dollars to give — just ask the clowns.  

Natural Escapes

When you’re in the entertainment capital of world, the hardest thing to do is find a place for peace and quiet, but the desert offers a sweet escape. Take a Sunday drive to see Ugo Rondinone’s Seven Magic Mountains, colorful — and monumental — desert cairns, found just off I-15. Or spend the weekend cooling off in Lake Mead. The Lake Mead National Recreation Area was the nation’s first, and there are beachy spots for swimming, bridges for fishing and miles of brisk waters for boating. But this isn’t any ordinary lakeside getaway. You can hike through slot canyons, camp beneath the shimmering night sky and even get a peek at the Hoover Dam. If you want to experience the most extreme of desert extremes, though, Death Valley National Park is just a couple hours away, and even the tiny corner of this hottest, driest place that tips into the state of Nevada is a marvel.   

When you want a little bit of the outdoors and a little bit of the great indoors, Springs Preserve is a perfect balance of nature and nurture. Stroll the botanical gardens and hike the trails, cool off in the museums or ride the rails. Whether you’re into dinosaurs, butterflies, rare plants or Gila monsters, there is something exciting for everyone to see here. When your crew has had enough museuming, there’s a splash pad to cool off in and dinosaur tracks to find. 

On the outskirts of Summerlin, you’ll find your easiest ticket to adventure: Red Rock Canyon. Mountain bikers, rock climbers, horseback riders and even work-weary picnickers will find a favorite haunt in this rugged beauty. There’s a great scenic drive you can take, if you just need a low-energy experience, and the Moenkopi Loop trail offers an easy hike to see flora, fauna and fossils with a great view of the Wilson Cliffs. 

Culinary Delights

Vegas packs at least 25 hours of fun into each 24-hour day, and there’s no better way to spend your time between slots and shows than eating. There are legendary fine dining spots, like the Michelin-starred Peter Luger Steak House in Caesars Palace. There are legendary fun dining spots like the Strat, a rotating restaurant and bar. You’ll want to graze the buffets at Bacchanal, the Luxor and the Wynn. There’s the Sorry, Not Sorry Creamery when you just need a treat in the heat, and there are subterranean cocktails at the Laundry Room, a no-tell speakeasy tucked into the Commonwealth. But there are also blowout nightclubs which can offer an opulent, Boschian atmosphere like Omnia, or the thumping, laser-laced beats at Hakkasan, where crunk maestro Lil John might just be spinning for the night.  

Anyone looking for a genuine oasis in the desert will want to wet their whistle at Peyote. Enclosed in an alluring garden of flowering cacti, this tranquil spot in the Fremont East neighborhood will transport you with Elysian elixirs, piquant ceviche and seared octopus and decadent French toast with caramelized piloncillo-spiked mascarpone. The restaurant is a part of the Fergusons Downtown area—an artsy micro district wrapped around the now-renovated Ferguson motel, and you’ll find eco-conscious boutiques like Tofu Tees, handcrafted jewelers and an aromatherapeutic bath shop called Mike’s Recovery, where you can stock up on oils essential to detoxifying from everything else you’ve done in Vegas. 

Ready to move to Las Vegas? Get a no-obligation moving quote today. 

The Downside About Living in Vegas

Weathering the Desert Climate 

Dry, hot and sunny, the weather in this Mojave Desert climate can feel almost as oppressive it does in nearby Death Valley. But new residents flock here for the consistently sunny skies and the promise of mild winters.  

So, how hot and dry can it get in Vegas? Well, you’ll see four inches of rain in an average year, here, which means you won’t need to worry about putting in a lawn, let alone watering one. And it’s possible (though not probable) that you won’t see a single drop at all. The rains come almost exclusively in the wintertime when no one really needs to cool down, because the average temperature stays between 37 F and 57 F in January, the coldest month.  

Summertime is another story entirely. If you’re lucky, nighttime will allow temperatures to fall just below 80 F, but by midday they usually spike to over 104 F, treacherous for any creature who doesn’t have a cool rock to crawl beneath or the shade of a slot machine to duck behind.  

Most people adapt easily to the climate in Vegas, but you need to apply sunscreen, drink extra water and avoid being outside in the hottest part of the day. People do perish from heat-related causes, and when the mercury creeps past 110 F, which it’s likely to do routinely until we get serious about addressing climate change, the best place to be is next to an air conditioner. Preferably one running on solar panels.  

Budgeting for Cost of Living 

With all of the entertainment options and amenities in this tourist-centric city, it does cost more to live in Las Vegas, so you’ll need to budget extra for most general living expenses, including housing, transportation, insurance and groceries, though Nevada residents tend to pay a bit less for utilities than the rest of the nation. Wages in the city are a mixed bag, with some exceeding U.S. rates, like lawyers and electricians, and others falling far behind the national average, like human resources managers, who only earn $45.94/hour compared to the national rate of $70.07/hour.  

The cost of homeownership in Sin City is more expensive than other popular Southwestern areas. The median home value in Vegas averaged $365,300 between 2018 and 2022, compared with $246,000 in Albuquerque and $340,200 in Phoenix. Rental rates are higher, too, and the median gross rent in Las Vegas is $1,356/month, compared with the U.S. average of $1,268. Still, this pales in comparison to nearby cities in California, where real estate stays off the chart. According to Redfin, the housing market is heating up in Vegas, though, and homes are selling faster and costing more. The median sale price was nearly $430,000 in February 2024.  

How to Have a Stress-Free Move to Las Vegas

Looking for the best way to move to Las Vegas? Hiring a professional moving company can help you eliminate a lot of the stress of moving your family to a new city.   

United Van Lines proudly moved more than 1,000,000 families to new homes in just the last 10 years. As America’s #1 Mover® in long-distance moving, United van Lines can handle your relocation to Sin City from anywhere in the U.S.  

We provide you with a customized, full-service moving package tailored to your family’s needs. We can handle the packing and unpacking, shipping your car, removing debris from your current home and or storing your belongings. Want to get ahead of the game? Follow our step-by-step guide to moving long distance and start planning for other aspects of your move. 

Moving locally to Vegas? If you’re moving within Sin City or from another city in the Silver State, United Van Lines’ interstate Nevada movers provide local moving services in Las Vegas under their own businesses and brands. 

Get a quote today on moving to Las Vegas.