Is Vegas a Good Place to Live?

There is no denying that Las Vegas is one of the top tourist destinations in the world. Millions of people from all over the world come to Las Vegas each year to gamble, party, and let loose. However, what many people don’t realize is Las Vegas is actually a fairly large metropolitan area (nearly 2 million residents). The city isn’t just the Strip and Fremont Street. There’s far more to this place than what you see when coming here on vacation.

Las Vegas is a different kind of city than what you’re probably accustomed to. The city relies so heavily on tourism that it wouldn’t exist without it, whereas most other cities rely mostly on local business. Vegas is also different in that people come and go so frequently from here. It’s quite rare for someone above the age of 21 to have lived in Las Vegas their entire life.

Many Las Vegas residents are California transplants. They move to Las Vegas for numerous reasons, with the cost of living being the most common. It’s far cheaper to live in Vegas than nearly anywhere in California. Las Vegas has its advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of living in Las Vegas

There are many advantages to living in Las Vegas. First off, let’s be honest, it’s one of the most exciting cities in the world. There’s a reason people come from all over the world to vacation in Sin City. The Strip is fabulous. The bright lights are amazing. There are casinos all over town. You can get food at any hour of the day. You can buy alcohol 24 hours a day.

The city also has some nice golf courses, a beautiful hiking trail over at Red Rock Canyon, a gorgeous lake (Lake Mead), tons of amazing restaurants, popular concerts playing daily, nice parks, and great weather for the majority of the year. Since Las Vegas relies heavily on entertainment, this is the perfect place to live for those that are in the service industry. Waitresses, bartenders, dancers, and entertainers can earn a nice living in Las Vegas.

The cost of living in Las Vegas is fairly low. Sure, you can live a crazy lifestyle and blow all kinds of money on gambling, booze, and hookers, but as long as you’re responsible, it’s not that expensive to live in Las Vegas. Buying and renting homes, gas prices, food expenses, etc. are all competitive with most large cities in the country.

Disadvantages of living in Las Vegas

The fact of the matter is Las Vegas simply isn’t a great place to raise a family. This town is better suited for those that are single and either under 40 or over 70. The school system here (Clark County School District) has some good schools, but has more bad schools. Nevada ranks dead last in the nation in graduation rates. Clark County Schools has long struggled to obtain enough quality teachers.

Yes, there are some very good schools in Las Vegas. But those schools are mostly located in the wealthier neighborhoods. Since Las Vegas is a tourist hotspot and has hundreds of casinos, the crime rate is quite high, unfortunately. Living near the Strip isn’t ideal. There are plenty of safe neighborhoods in Las Vegas, but you’re never more than a 5-10 minute drive away from a crummy area.

Another problem with Las Vegas is a lack of good jobs. Since the education levels are so low in Vegas, there aren’t enough skilled workers for major corporations to headquarter out of Las Vegas. Most of the best jobs go to those that are attractive since most of the best jobs are service industry jobs.

Deciding on whether or not to live in Las Vegas depends on what you’re looking for. If you want to live in an exciting city that is hopping 24/7/365, it’s tough to find a better place to live than Las Vegas. If cost of living is a major concern, Las Vegas is a good place to live. If you want to raise a family and keep your kids away from negative influences, this isn’t the kind of city you’re going to want to reside in. Many people enjoy living in Las Vegas. Many people don’t. The only one that can decide if this is a good place to live or not is you.