Life in Las Vegas

Sung in dozens of movies and television shows, sparkling with neon lights, Las Vegas will surely attract a lot of people considering moving to the United States. But, as residents assure, this idea does not always justify itself.

Sung in dozens of movies and television shows, sparkling with neon lights, Las Vegas will surely attract a lot of people considering moving to the United States. But, as residents assure, this idea does not always justify itself. Life in Las Vegas has two sides of the coin. One of them is polished to a brilliance, as it is designed for casino players, tourists and participants in various conferences. The second side does not shine too brightly, despite moderate property prices and a summer climate almost all year round.

Benefits of Living in Las Vegas

As it turns out, there is a lot of pros for moving to Las Vegas. If all of them are grouped into a list, it will look something like this:

• Low real estate prices. The average price of a home in Vegas is $201 thousand. Renting a one-bedroom apartment in a typical area is available, starting at $ 800. If we take the average housing prices in decent areas, then in Las Vegas you can still find a two-bedroom apartment for $ 1000-1100. You understand, not every major American city can boast of such prices.
• Dry and hot climate. Since Las Vegas is built in the middle of the desert, cold weather is absent here, even in winter. In the summer, of course, it’s hot, but here everyone is used to using air conditioning: at work, at home and in the car. In the streets, pedestrians do not go further than the Strip.
• Low taxes. In the state of Nevada, to which Las Vegas belongs, there is no local income tax. But in California it is 13.3% of the salary, in New York – 8.82%. The difference is palpable, isn’t it?
• Las Vegas, with all its drawbacks, which we will talk about below, is not a poor city. The average family income here is $ 59,500, which is higher than in Los Angeles ($ 54,170) and slightly less than in the United States as a whole – $ 64,000.
• A lot of concerts and other public events are constantly held in the city. Las Vegas is a recognized center for hosting various national conferences. In the afternoon, delegates speak from the rostrum and listen to speakers, and in the evening go to the casino or to a concert.
• Lack of problems with transport. The average trip time in the city (home – work travel) here is 25 minutes or so, which generally corresponds to the national average. In Los Angeles, an average city trip will take 40 minutes. There is almost no traffic jams.

Disadvantages of living in Las Vegas

• Adverse situation in the labor market. Unemployed in the city – 7.2% of the total able-bodied population. The national average is 5.2%.
• High level of crime. The rate of violent crimes is 70.1, for example in Los Angeles – 43.7.
• Summer heat sometimes exceeds 115f 46 °C. Although a dry climate is easier to tolerate than a tropical one.
• Las Vegas is considered the city where people are most often stressed. Perhaps this is due to the fact that many (including not only tourists, but also local ones) play here in a casino, and then, as a rule, lose. Maybe for other reasons – for example, due to the high level of unemployment.

I’m a student economist from Croatia interested in real estate business. Currently I’m living in Las Vegas for almost half a year now and I love Las Vegas. For me it has more benefits rather than drawbacks.