The 10 Best Places To Live In Nevada For 2022

The 10 Best Places To Live In Nevada For 2022

We’ve been ranking Nevada’s best cities for awhile now, and Henderson just keeps topping the list. Located just southeast of Las Vegas, Henderson has all the action of Sin City plus a little extra quality of life. There’s The M Resort for those looking to gamble, the Lion Habitat Ranch for animal-enthusiasts, Sloan Canyon for the outdoorsmen and women, and Cowabunga Bay Water Park for the kids and kids at heart.

Speaking of kids, Henderson has an excellent public school system, with GreatSchools awarding over 15 schools a 9/10 rating or higher. Henderson’s high school dropout rate is the 2nd lowest in Nevada. The crime rate in Henderson is the 5th lowest statewide, and the poverty rate is the 3rd lowest. All these factors contribute to Henderson being one of the best places to retire in Nevada. The cost of living in Henderson is moderate, and the median household income here is $75,430/year. Henderson’s grown by more than 15% in the last decade, with property values increasing by around 9% in the last year alone. Just make sure you don’t move to one of Henderson’s worst neighborhoods and everything should be peachy.

Located on the Arizona border 80 miles northeast of Vegas in the Virgin River Valley, Mesquite is a desert paradise that combines the best of small-town life with big-city attractions. Majestic mountains for a stunning backdrop for eye-popping sunsets, top-quality golf courses and casinos abound, and there are museums dedicated both to local history and local artistry. And, of course, plenty of outdoor hotspots nearby to make staying active a treat instead of a chore.

Mesquite is the oldest city on our list by a wide margin, with a median age of 59, thanks to a growing retirement community. The crime rate here is about 30% below the national average, making Mesquite one of Nevada’s safest cities. The median household income in Mesquite is $59,206/year, the 10th highest statewide. All these awesome features help explain why Mesquite is Nevada’s fastest growing city, with a population increase of over 20% since 2010.

Billing itself as “The Oasis of Nevada,” Fallon ranks as the 3rd nicest spot to live statewide. Don’t take our word for it when we say Fallon has excellent public schools — the data proves it with the lowest high school dropout rate in Nevada.

Additionally, Fallon has safe streets, likely a result of an economic situation that works for everyone. That’s because Fallon has the 6th lowest unemployment rate in Nevada. And you won’t be huffing and puffing in traffic on your way to work, either — Fallon also has the 7th shortest average commute time statewide.

If you’re looking for action in Fallon, there’s the ever-present casino scene (it is Nevada, after all) at Stockman’s Casino. Whiskey-lovers will be thrilled to have the local Frey Ranch Distillery in their neighborhood.

But if you’re not into all that jazz, there’s still Grimes Point for lovers of nature and ancient history alike. And the whole community gets involved in the annual Fallon Cantaloupe Festival & Country Fair. In other words, you’ll have to actively avoid fun if you want to be bored in Fallon.

Located just east of Reno near the California border, Sparks comes in as the 4th best place to live in Nevada. With a population of 102,895, Sparks is big enough to have all the amenities necessary for a high standard of living while retaining a sense of community. Marina Park is a favorite for locals looking to get out of the house, while ample outlet shopping will keep even the most ravenous of shopaholics satisfied. Sparks also hosts the Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-Off, an annual event that’s topped lists of the best BBQ festivals in the country.

Sparks has been growing at a rapid pace; not just the population, but employees, wages, and property values have all risen by a lot in recent years. Sparks has the 8th lowest levels of unemployment and poverty in Nevada, so you know everyone gets their fair share here. Sparks residents also enjoy the 5th highest median household income in Nevada at $67,187/year.

At the eastern end of U.S. Highway 50 you’ll find the bustling town of Ely, the 5th best place in Nevada. Ely’s history as a stagecoach station, mining town, and key railroad stop is documented in an impressive series of murals throughout the town. If you want to see how things looked back in the day, a visit to Ely’s Renaissance Village is just the thing. Those who prefer their history with a side of picnicking or hiking might prefer to spend time at Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park.

Homes in Ely are fairly cheap at around $157,400 and you won’t find cheaper rent on this list than Ely’s median rental price of $788/month, less than half the average rent in Nevada. Ely’s unemployment is the 5th lowest in the state and workers enjoy the 2nd shortest average commute time in Nevada.

Coming in as Nevada’s 6th best place to call home is Fernley, a city of 20,616 situated a half-hour west of Reno. Fernley was already featured on our list of the most affordable places in Nevada thanks to its low home price to income ratio, so finding out that it’s also among the best places to live statewide is just icing on the cake.

The cost of living in Fernley is just about on par with the national average, so you don’t have to break the bank for essentials here. Fernley also has the 6th highest rate of health-insured residents, so unexpected medical issues are a bit less overwhelming here.

Fernley also has the 5th lowest poverty and 9th lowest unemployment rate statewide, so everyone gets a slice of the pie. Fernley residents enjoy the 6th highest median household income in Nevada at $66,525, and your typical Fernley home sells for around $256,200.

Now, if you’re living in Fernley, you can turn to Reno’s Riverwalk District for a bit of fun. But there’s no need to make the drive to get your entertainment if you’re trying to gamble because there are plenty of local spots, like the Silverado Casino, to get your fix.

Reno, with its incredible Riverwalk District, dizzying array of events, and downtown whitewater kayak park, comes in as the 7th best place to call home in Nevada. Previously filled with nothing but casinos and kitschy shops, Reno’s downtown has undergone a renaissance recently. The casinos are still prevalent, but now it’s nicely rounded out by a thriving Arts District and top-notch museums. No wonder Reno featured big on our list of the best places for singles in Nevada.

Here’s the rub: Reno is also Nevada’s most expensive city, so it’s best to come here with some savings or a lucrative job lined up. Reno’s homes are the most expensive in the state at around $361,100 and the cost of living is higher than the statewide average. We think Reno’s locals would argue that good schools, low poverty and unemployment, and a rollicking good time are worth every penny, though. Having a population that’s grown by nearly 10% in the last decade means even outsiders tend to agree.

Located smack dab in the middle of north-central Nevada’s cowboy country, Winnemucca is a place with a unique heritage and culture. You don’t want to miss out on either of the cities two big annual events, the Ranch Hand Rodeo for all things cowboy and the Basque Festival, a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. And if you’re looking for some of the best ATVing opportunities in the country, you’ll want to visit Nevada’s largest sand dunes in Winnemucca.

Being the heart of buckaroo territory, you might not expect Winnemucca to be an enclave for the state’s elite, but we named it the richest place in Nevada. The median household income in Winnemucca is the 4th highest in the state at $67,574/year and unemployment sits at 4.0%. Winnemucca also doesn’t fit the rough and tumble cowboy stereotype completely, seeing as the crime rate here is the 13th lowest in Nevada and the violent crime rate ranks as the 7th lowest. If you want to give Winnemucca a try, the median rent here is only $754/month, 40% lower than the statewide median.

Located in the heart of northeastern Nevada beside the snow-capped Ruby Mountans, Elko ranks as the 9th best place to live in the state. ATVing, rock-climbing, biking, hunting and more are all available in and around Elko, so you won’t have to wonder what to do with yourself on the weekend. Humboldt National Forest is a short day-trip away and the Northeastern Nevada Museum is in town if you’re itching for a slice of culture. All these features make it easy to see why Elko topped our list of the best cities for families in Nevada.

Crime in Elko ranks as the 15th crime lowest in Nevada, so you don’t have to worry about the cowboy culture causing any dust-ups here. Elko also rates among Nevada’s most affordable cities, with a cost of living about 5% lower than the statewide average. While Elko has the 9th most expensive median home price in the state at $229,600, having the highest median household income at $77,659/year offsets that cost and then some.

Carlin is a small city of 1,885 located 25 miles west of Elko along I-80. Known as the place “where the train stops and the Gold Rush begins,” Carlin remains true to its gold mining past even to this day. The Carlin Trend, just northwest of the city, is one of the most productive gold mining areas in the country. Just outside of town, there’s plenty of natural splendor to explore, even if you’re not after a nugget of gold.

All that gold seems to be keeping Carlin quiet flush because residents here enjoy the 3rd highest median household income in Nevada at $70,000/year. Carlin also has great public schools that have achieved the 4th lowest high school dropout rate in Nevada. As a bonus, Carlin’s a place where unwelcome medical surprises are a little less scary since the city has the highest rate of residents with health insurance statewide.

Methodology: How We Calculated The Best Cities To Live In Nevada

Now that we had our set of cities, it was time to rank them.

We ranked each place in Nevada across a number of criteria from one to 16, with one being the best.

We then took the average rank across all criteria, with the city posting the lowest overall score being crowned the winner of the title “Best Place To Live In Nevada”.

The criteria we looked at were:

• Median Home Values
• Median Income
• Population Density (Higher better)
• Unemployment Rate
• Commute Time
• Crime
• Education Levels
• Health Insurance Coverage
• Poverty rates

Sources of criteria include the New Census Data and FBI Crime Data. You can download the data here.

After the dust settled, what was the best place to live in Nevada? That would be Henderson.

If your city or town isn’t among the top 10, jump down to the bottom of the post to see a detailed chart of the best places in Nevada.

Otherwise, buckle up for a ride down good living lane with Henderson at the end of the cul-de-sac.