Want to know where you can live the retirement dream in Nevada?
Nevada’s best places to retire do not disappoint. The state is after all one of the fastest growing states in America so there has to be something that’s drawing the country to this Western state. And for many of Nevada’s retirees, that takes on the form of great skiing in Carson City’s Lake Tahoe and gambling anywhere from Winnemucca to Henderson.
Many people think that Las Vegas and Reno are the only places in Nevada worth your time. But to make our list, a place had to be affordable, safe, and close to an international airport. And because we know that’s not all that keeps the 65 and older crowd happy and entertained, we also looked at amenities and commute times for each city.
Want to know the places in Nevada where you where you can experience the best that retirement has to offer? Grab a coffee and follow along.
$1,181 median rent · $75,227 median income · #3 cheapest rent in Nevada
Located in
Lincoln County, Nevada
Mesquite is a U.S. city in Clark County, Nevada, adjacent to the Arizona state line and 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas on Interstate 15. As of 2015, the United States Census estimates that the city had a population of 17,496. The city is located in the Virgin River valley adjacent to the Virgin Mountains in the northeastern part of the Mojave Desert. It is home to a growing retirement community, as well as several casino resorts and golf courses.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,230 median rent · $73,389 median income · #4 cheapest rent in Nevada
Located in
Churchill County, Nevada
Fallon is a city in Churchill County, Nevada, United States. The population was 8,606 at time of the 2010 census. Fallon is the county seat of Churchill County and is located in the Lahontan Valley.
Fallon and Churchill County are mostly agricultural areas. Although the area is arid, approximately 50,000 acres of its pastureland are irrigated with water from the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District. The principal crop grown is alfalfa for livestock feed. The “Heart O’ Gold” cantaloupes of Churchill County were once distributed across the United States, but are now grown mostly for consumption in Nevada.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,824 median rent · $90,138 median income · #9 cheapest rent in Nevada
Located in
Clark County, Nevada
Henderson, officially the City of Henderson, is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States, about 16 miles southeast of Las Vegas. It is the second-largest city in Nevada, after Las Vegas, with an estimated population of 292,969 in 2016. The city is part of the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which spans the entire Las Vegas Valley. Henderson occupies the southeastern end of the valley, at an elevation of approximately 1,330 feet.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$965 median rent · $81,824 median income · #2 cheapest rent in Nevada
Located in
Humboldt County, Nevada
Winnemucca ) is the only incorporated city in and is the county seat of Humboldt County, Nevada, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 7,396, up 3.1 percent from the 2000 census figure of 7,174. Interstate 80 passes through the city, where it meets U.S. Route 95.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$611 median rent · $49,013 median income · #1 cheapest rent in Nevada
West Wendover is a small city in Elko County, Nevada, United States. The population was 4,410 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Elko micropolitan area. West Wendover is located on the eastern border of Nevada and the western edge of the Great Salt Lake Desert and is contiguous with Wendover, Utah, with which it is sometimes confused. Interstate 80 runs just north of the cities, while Interstate 80 Business runs through the two cities.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,556 median rent · $80,760 median income · #6 cheapest rent in Nevada
Located in
Washoe County, Nevada
Reno is a city in the U.S. state of Nevada. It is in Northern Nevada, approximately 22 miles from Lake Tahoe. Known as “The Biggest Little City in the World”, Reno is famous for its hotels and casinos and as the birthplace of Harrah’s Entertainment. It is the county seat of Washoe County, in the northwestern part of the state. The city sits in a high desert at the foot of the Sierra Nevada and its downtown area occupies a valley informally known as the Truckee Meadows. It is named after Jesse L. Reno.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,267 median rent · $79,036 median income · #5 cheapest rent in Nevada
Located in
Elko County, Nevada
Coordinates: 4050N 11546W 40.833; -115.767 Elko is the largest city and county seat of Elko County, Nevada, United States. The population was 18,297 at the 2010 census. The city straddles the Humboldt River.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,716 median rent · $89,056 median income · #8 cheapest rent in Nevada
Located in
Washoe County, Nevada
Sparks is a city in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. It was founded in 1904 and incorporated on March 15, 1905, and is located just east of Reno. The 2010 U.S. Census Bureau population count was 90,264. It is the fifth most populous city in Nevada. It is named after the late Nevada Governor John Sparks, a member of the Silver Party.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,705 median rent · $79,542 median income · #7 cheapest rent in Nevada
Located in
Clark County, Nevada
North Las Vegas is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States, in the Las Vegas Valley. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 216,961, with an estimated population of 249,180 in 2017. The city was incorporated on May 16, 1946. It is in the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA and is the fourth largest city in the state of Nevada.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Nevada’s statewide median.
Nevada statewide median: $78,260
Nevada statewide median: $446,865
On the map
Where to retire in Nevada
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Silver State for 2026
To create our ranking of the best places in Nevada to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Silver State — 124 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 4,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 9 places from across the state.
For these 9, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criterion from one to 9, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Mesquite, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.
The report has been updated for 2026. This list reflects our eleventh time ranking the best places to retire in Nevada.
The full plate
Best Places To Retire In Nevada
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Retire Score | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mesquite | 3.80 | 22,059 | $75,227 | $380,205 | $1,181 |
| 2 | Fallon | 4.00 | 9,463 | $73,389 | $391,150 | $1,230 |
| 3 | Henderson | 4.80 | 332,141 | $90,138 | $486,156 | $1,824 |
| 4 | Winnemucca | 5.00 | 8,361 | $81,824 | $349,754 | $965 |
| 5 | West Wendover | 5.00 | 4,514 | $49,013 | $295,977 | $611 |
| 6 | Reno | 5.10 | 273,212 | $80,760 | $567,857 | $1,556 |
| 7 | Elko | 5.20 | 20,696 | $79,036 | $360,731 | $1,267 |
| 8 | Sparks | 5.90 | 110,024 | $89,056 | $529,283 | $1,716 |
| 9 | North Las Vegas | 6.20 | 278,595 | $79,542 | $407,047 | $1,705 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, FBI UCR, OpenFlights. 9 cities with more than 4,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In Nevada Yet…
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Nevada goes to Mesquite.
The best places to retire in Nevada are Mesquite, Fallon, Henderson, Winnemucca, West Wendover, Reno, Elko, Sparks, North Las Vegas.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley.
