Is Las Vegas a Good Place to Live for Families? An Essential Guide
Most people think of Las Vegas as a wild party town, but that is not all it is! There’s so much more to the city than just the Strip, and it’s evolving into a great place for families to live.
Is Las Vegas a Good Place for Families to Live? Las Vegas has been known for years as a tourist destination, but it can actually be a great place for families to live as well. It has plenty of schools, a ton of activities to enjoy, and is one of the most affordable large cities in the United States to live in.
Although Las Vegas has the reputation of being a getaway playground for adults, the other side of Las Vegas (the side that has nothing to do with the Strip) could be the perfect place to raise your family.
Whether Las Vegas is a good place or not for your family to live will depend on several factors that I’ll discuss below.
Is Las Vegas a Good Place to Raise a Family?
When considering a place to raise your family, you not only want to know how you’re going to prosper financially but also what your day-to-day life might be like. Las Vegas is mostly seen as “The Strip,” which is all about drinking, gambling, and partying until the early hours.
There is another side of Las Vegas, however. It’s a place that’s removed from all of the non-stop parties and is a much more family-friendly place to raise your kids.
Most tourists think that Las Vegas is the Strip and nothing else. The truth is that beyond the Strip there is a whole city that most tourists will never see.
Outside of the tourist areas Vegas is a city much like any other. We have working-class neighborhoods, grocery stores, and Walmarts. We also have one of the largest school systems in the country, and communities specially designed to benefit families of all income levels.
Many, (most?) Las Vegas residents haven’t been to the Strip in months and only head into that area of town when they have friends or family visiting.
Before moving here, my wife Wendy and I had visited many times but spent all our time in the tourist areas. We had no idea of what the surrounding city was like. Like most tourists, we never even considered it.
One thing I did know, however, was that Las Vegas is surrounded by some of the best National and State Parks in the country. These parks are home to several of the most beautiful natural areas you’ll find anywhere in the United States.
Combine this with some of the most affordable housing available in a large city, and you and your family may be quite happy to live here.
Naturally, Las Vegas has some rough areas of town. Luckily, the majority of the crime that occurs in the city is only in a few certain areas. Las Vegas Metro and Clark County Police have taken precautions as well as formed programs to educate individuals around the city about specific problems and areas.
I think we can agree that there are good and bad sides to living in any city. Let’s talk about what makes Las Vegas a great place to raise a family, and some things you should know about if you’re considering moving the family here.
The Pros of Raising a Family in Las Vegas
- Las Vegas has affordable housing options that can fit the needs of a variety of families. It is one of the most affordable of the big cities in the United States. Not only are the housing options affordable, but it has a comparable cost of living as well.
- Vegas has so many activities for families of all ages. Depending on the age of your children, the Strip, may not be the ideal place for family time, however, there are plenty of great activities that both parents and children can enjoy throughout the city.
- Las Vegas also offers shopping and recreation areas outside of the main tourist spots that host theaters, recreation centers, museums, and plenty of outdoor activities. With so many different cultural influences in the area, it is a great place to immerse yourself and your children in cultures that may be different from your own.
- Education is one of the number one areas of interest for most families. Having said that, I must say that the quality of the Las Vegas school system is a mixed bag. While area schools have an 85% high school graduation rate and climbing (source), the education your child will receive depends greatly on the area of town you live in. This is something you may want to consider carefully before choosing a neighborhood to live in (much more on this below).
The Cons of Raising a Family in Las Vegas
- Along with Las Vegas’ history of gambling and adult activities, there is a high crime rate that you may want to consider. At the end of the day, there will be crime in any big city so it’s best to consider the specific neighborhoods before choosing a place to live. In some areas, the violent crime risk is almost double that of the national average. In other areas, you will feel quite safe and secure.
- Nevada, in general, is facing a shortage of medical professionals. This is not exclusive to primary care, but it covers a wide range of medical care. The city is working on building a better infrastructure that helps keep doctors and dentists more readily available. With only one medical school nearby, Las Vegas has had trouble attracting enough doctors to the area (source).
- If child care is something that you are going to need, then it is going to come at a premium cost. This cost could be nearly equivalent to the price of tuition for a public college. Even if you are able to afford the daycare, then the quality of that care may not be up to par. Many families are spending a quarter of their yearly income on child care.
What Are the Best Neighborhoods for Families in Las Vegas?
If you are planning on moving to Las Vegas, then the neighborhood you choose is more important than you may think. Not only is this going to help you know crime rates, but you can also learn about the education system around it too. Here are the top four areas for families in Las Vegas!
South and Southwest Las Vegas
For young families, this is a great area of Las Vegas to start out in. It is way less developed than other areas of the city, so you naturally have more room. It is located between two major highways, so it makes commuting to work easy. There are also master-planned communities that cater to families.
Many of the communities in this area are relatively new. It is not fully populated yet, so it is a great place to be close to the city, but experience a little bit of the slow life as well. Some of the most popular communities in the area include Green Valley (map), Anthem (map), Seven Hills (map), and Southern Highlands (map)!
Henderson
This has become one of the most popular suburbs for families in the Las Vegas Valley. It is right next to two natural areas run by the National Park Service (Hoover Dam & Lake Mead National Recreation Area), which offers an abundance of nature-based activities for families.
There are also a lot of housing options since it is such a popular location and they are building new homes rapidly. It also has a great school system too.
Henderson is considered to be the second safest city in Nevada after Boulder City (source) and has been deemed as one of the best places to live in the country (source).
Although initially, Henderson was not part of Las Vegas, both cities have grown and basically merged into one. It has pretty much everything you would need close by and is a great place to live.
My wife’s parents moved to Henderson shortly after we moved here so we spend a lot of time in the area and it is a very nice community that offers all the nearby fun of Las Vegas while remaining apart from the day to day craziness of the Strip. You can see what area of town Henderson is in here on google maps.
Summerlin
This is a smaller version of Henderson that was planned by Howard Hughes. It backs up to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (see our article about Red Rock Canyon here) and offers a lot of outdoor activities.
It boasts a large amount of shopping and restaurants, so you are not required to travel to the city for a good meal. It is considered one of the more upscale places to live in the Las Vegas Valley.
There are a lot of schools in the area and was designed to accommodate families. It has more of a small-town feel to it. It has a great downtown area and it is several degrees cooler on average in the summer than the rest of Las Vegas. Check out the Summerlin area on google maps here.
Rancho Charleston
If you are looking to live in Las Vegas, then Rancho Charleston is a great option. Because it is affordable, there are a lot of first-time homeowners and new families in the area. For being in the city, it has a low crime rate and has a good school district. It also features its’ own downtown section, which offers restaurants and other amenities.
Homes in the area average around $300,000, but there are some accommodations for under $170,000 for families who may just be starting out. Rancho Charleston features a lot of area parks, is dog-friendly, has sidewalks, and is well-maintained overall.
Check out the Rancho Charleston area on google maps.
Is It Hard to Find a Job In Las Vegas, Nevada?
The top industries in Las Vegas are obviously tourism and gambling. With over 43 million visitors per year, there is always a need for help in the tourism industry.
While tourism jobs provide a lot of employment, it may surprise you to find out that the Clark County school district is the single largest employer in both Las Vegas and Nevada as a whole (source).
The overall job market is not great but has been improving and it is not impossible to find employment. The average salary for those working in Las Vegas is about six thousand dollars below the national average but there are some advantages in regards to income tax that may help to partially offset this (more below).
Las Vegas has a slightly higher average of unemployment than the national average as well. This is mostly due to lifestyle choices, but lack of skills is also a common problem with unemployment.
While there are jobs available, many of them are low paying jobs. These jobs typically do not have benefits, and may not be enough for a single household to have a comfortable lifestyle due to the cost of living in the area.
If you have a strong list of skills, then you should not have an issue finding jobs, but you may want to look at available jobs before you move or start a family in the Las Vegas area.
If your current job has any openings in Las Vegas, then you should try and apply for that job, so you have a job ready for you when you move. Since the area does not have many skilled workers, a lot of companies do not have major headquarters here, although that seems to be slowly changing.
No State Income Tax and Lower Property Taxes
Hallelujah! This is a big benefit to living in Las Vegas and Nevada as a whole. Since the State of Nevada, and Las Vegas, in particular, makes its revenue from taxing tourism and casinos they don’t need to levy a tax on your income.
I thank every one of the 43 million tourists that visit each and every year!
The savings by not having to pay state income tax helps to make up for some of the lower-paying jobs around as well.
In addition, we’ve found property taxes to be quite a bit lower than what we were used to. That, however, is entirely dependent on where you live in town. Independent cities like Henderson have a higher property tax rate than the City of Las Vegas for instance.
What Does the Cost of Living Look Like?
As with anywhere, the cost of living in a particular location is dependent on the lifestyle that you choose. The specific area of town you live in, your dietary needs, and the size of your family all play huge roles.
In general, the further you get from the Strip, the more affordable everything will become.
Once businesses and service providers realize that tourists are most likely not going to be coming their way, there isn’t much of a need to overcharge because locals simply won’t pay the costs.
Although Las Vegas may be more expensive than other cities when it comes to prices near the Strip, in comparison to other large cities on average, Vegas is quite affordable.
Rent
The average rent in Las Vegas for an apartment is around $1,113 per month (source). Some of the more luxurious neighborhoods can reach up to $3,000 per month. Renting a house will run a few hundred dollars a month more on average.
Las Vegas can experience extremely hot temperatures, but it can also snow on rare occasions (See our article “Does it Ever Snow in Las Vegas?”)! The average utility bill for a 1,000-square-foot apartment is just under $200.
Having said that, it is highly dependent on where you live. We live in a 1500 sq ft. updated house with good insulation and a pool and our average monthly bill is around $125. So pretty inexpensive.
Groceries and Food
A lot of locals actually prefer to grocery shop in bulk to cut down on food costs. We do most of our food shopping at Costco. However, in an average grocery store milk is around $3.41 a gallon, while bread runs you around $2.26 loaf.
As long as you’re not shopping at a specialty food market (ie Whole Foods, Trader Joes, etc.), monthly expenses for food can be considered quite reasonable.
Driving
Driving in Las Vegas is more expensive than other locations in Nevada. The insurance minimum is usually around $100 month or more, and the gas price average is 14% higher than the national average.
The high cost of auto insurance was one thing that really surprised me when we moved here. We found that most things in Las Vegas were very inexpensive compared to where we used to live (Washington State). Everything except car insurance that is. It was significantly higher!
After all, Vegas is a 24/7 town and the streets can be busy day and night. Also, I’ve seen some of the worst drivers ever since moving here!