More Than Casinos: A Look at Las Vegas' Top Employers and Best Neighborhoods
There are two groups of people in Las Vegas. Those who come for a visit and those who live here. I have been a resident for more than 20 years. What drew me to Las Vegas? The apartments are abundant with nice amenities, and the rents are reasonable.
Current Rental Pricing for Apartments in Las Vegas
| Bedroom | Average Rent | Cheapest Rent | Highest Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio Apartments | $1,234 | $643 | $2,879 |
| 1 Bedroom Apartments | $1,523 | $329 | $4,746 |
| 2 Bedroom Apartments | $1,757 | $850 | $7,442 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartments | $2,064 | $649 | $5,010 |
| 4 Bedroom Apartments | $2,021 | $595 | $4,550 |
| 5 Bedroom Apartments | $3,423 | $2,400 | $4,800 |
Current Pricing for Homes for Rent in Las Vegas
| Bedroom | Average Rent | Cheapest Rent | Highest Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio Apartments | $1,829 | $800 | $2,985 |
| 1 Bedroom Homes | $1,311 | $600 | $6,200 |
| 2 Bedroom Homes | $1,606 | $775 | $7,250 |
| 3 Bedroom Homes | $2,225 | $900 | $10,000+ |
| 4 Bedroom Homes | $2,944 | $1,200 | $10,000+ |
| 5 Bedroom Homes | $4,151 | $1,825 | $10,000+ |
| 6 Bedroom Homes | $9,202 | $1,980 | $10,000+ |
| 7 Bedroom Homes | $12,120 | $4,300 | $10,000+ |
My name is William. I'm your ApartmentHomeLiving.com Local Expert for Las Vegas. This guide will explain the job market in Las Vegas and how to find an apartment to rent that is near your employer. I used to travel all the time for my work. Yet, I enjoyed vacation time in Vegas and am an avid blackjack player. I decided to move from LA to Vegas. After I moved to Las Vegas, suddenly everyone wanted to come to visit me.
So, if you have a job that has you always traveling, think about renting an apartment in Las Vegas and suddenly finding out, with delight, that everyone wants to come to see you, instead of forcing you to travel to where they are.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority says that over 40 million visitors come to have fun in Las Vegas each year. There are also plenty of retirees (like me now) who make Vegas their home. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there are over one million jobs for people who live in the Greater Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, which includes the communities of Henderson and North Las Vegas.
If you are just starting out, there are plenty of entry-level jobs available for modest pay. If you bring a value-added resume with experience in hospitality, you can find higher-paying management positions and some retirees take on part-time work just to remain active (I volunteer at a nonprofit animal rescue center).
The casinos and resorts are big employers; however, it may surprise you to learn that one of the largest employers is not a casino, it is the Clark County School District. You can work as a teacher if you get a teaching certificate or be part of the administration. There are also more than 10,000 people working at Nellis Air Force Base, including active-duty military and civilians.
Here is a list of the top ten employers as reported by Nevada Work Force with links to the employers’ job boards:
- Clark County School District with 43,786 employees
- Nellis Air Force Base with more than 10,000 federal employees
- MGM Resorts with 10,000+ employed in Las Vegas (63,000 worldwide)
- Caesars Entertainment with 10,000+ employed (54,000 worldwide)
- Las Vegas Sands with 10,000+ employed in Las Vegas (40,300 worldwide)
- Wynn Resorts with 5,000+ employed in Las Vegas (28,000 worldwide)
- Boyd Gaming with 5,000+ employed in Las Vegas (15,000 worldwide)
- Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department with 5,000+ employees
- NV Energy with about 2,500 employees in Nevada
- Switch, Inc. (a data center) with about 1,000 employees in Las Vegas
I worked at Caesars for some time in the Forum Shops, which is an upscale shopping center. That’s when I got addicted to cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory restaurant. Cheesecake and delicious coffee on my break made me put on a few extra pounds. The food is so tasty in Vegas, so plan to go to the gym to offset the effects of the excessive calories you will start to accumulate when you over-indulge.
Hot Tip: All the big hotels and resorts are on the famous Las Vegas Strip. However, you probably want to rent an apartment a bit further away. If the Las Vegas apartments near the strip are nice, they will have high rents (one bedroom for $1,000 to $1,500 on average) due to the tourists' demand. If you find a “local workers’” apartment ($350 to $500 for a small one-bedroom or studio), it will be in a slightly less-attractive area behind the major hotels. Those workers’ apartments are OK, but not the best value. You can do better, in terms of your quality of living, as long as you are willing to commute to work.
As an alternative, you can work at one of the hotel casinos that cater to the locals. For example, Sun Coast Hotel & Casino sits far away from the strip, yet near a very nice area called Summerlin, on the north side of the city. The neighborhoods in the master-planned community of Summerlin are very nice.
For the best overview of Las Vegas apartment choices near major employers, I selected four large areas to consider, and, over the past 20+ years, I have rented apartments in each one of these areas, which are:
Las Vegas Strip
| Bedroom | Average Rent | Cheapest Rent | Highest Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio Apartments | $1,099 | $643 | $2,879 |
| 1 Bedroom Apartments | $1,385 | $329 | $3,800 |
| 2 Bedroom Apartments | $1,630 | $925 | $5,468 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartments | $2,002 | $649 | $3,858 |
| 4 Bedroom Apartments | $1,467 | $595 | $1,985 |
Resorts/Hotels/Casinos that are big employers in this area include ARIA, Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Circus Circus, The Cosmopolitan, The Cromwell, The Encore (at Wynn), Excalibur, Fontainebleau, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, New York – New York, Park MGM, Paris, Planet Hollywood, Resorts World, Sahara, The Strat, The Venetian with the Palazzo, and Wynn.
Here are some of the neighborhoods to consider near the Las Vegas Strip:
Paradise Valley
| Bedroom | Average Rent | Cheapest Rent | Highest Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Bedroom Apartments | $1,530 | $1,530 | $1,530 |
| 2 Bedroom Apartments | $1,563 | $1,000 | $2,030 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartments | $1,692 | $1,250 | $1,955 |
This area covers most of the Strip and is a great neighborhood near all the huge hotels and casinos. It is also near Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS). The airport was formerly called the McCarron Airport. The name was changed to recognize the contributions of the famous Senator Harry Reid.
Information about jobs at LAS can be found on the careers at Clark County Department of Aviation section of the website. If you have the proper security clearance (pass the drug and background checks), you may find work at the airport. The pay is good if you are lucky enough to get one of the jobs in baggage handling or airport logistics. If you don’t mind dealing with rude and impatient travelers, the federal security department, called TSA, is usually hiring.
Hot Tip: Once you move to Vegas, expect all your friends who live elsewhere to come to visit and to ask you to pick them up at the airport. It’s easy to do, and there is a road system that allows you to flow through the airport to pick people up. Just remind them before they come that since you live here you have work to do and cannot be available at all hours for non-stop partying.
University District
| Bedroom | Average Rent | Cheapest Rent | Highest Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio Apartments | $1,104 | $643 | $2,879 |
| 1 Bedroom Apartments | $1,393 | $329 | $3,800 |
| 2 Bedroom Apartments | $1,642 | $995 | $5,468 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartments | $2,059 | $649 | $3,858 |
| 4 Bedroom Apartments | $1,576 | $595 | $2,995 |
This area is around the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) campus. UNLV is a huge employer, and they have an UNLV online job board listing all the available positions.
Winchester
| Bedroom | Average Rent | Cheapest Rent | Highest Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio Apartments | $1,021 | $725 | $1,350 |
| 1 Bedroom Apartments | $1,140 | $700 | $2,250 |
| 2 Bedroom Apartments | $1,385 | $995 | $3,500 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartments | $1,706 | $1,450 | $1,900 |
This area is an unincorporated portion of Clark County that has some parts of the Strip, including the Las Vegas Convention Center. The center hosts major conventions and hires many local workers for all things related to putting on a successful convention. You can find job listings at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s (LVCVA) online employment center.
Outer Las Vegas Strip
| Bedroom | Average Rent | Cheapest Rent | Highest Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio Apartments | $1,099 | $643 | $2,879 |
| 1 Bedroom Apartments | $1,385 | $329 | $3,800 |
| 2 Bedroom Apartments | $1,630 | $925 | $5,468 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartments | $2,002 | $649 | $3,858 |
| 4 Bedroom Apartments | $1,467 | $595 | $1,985 |
The Strip starts near downtown Las Vegas on the border of the city limits, goes southwest down Las Vegas Boulevard, and keeps growing. It probably won’t stop growing until it eventually hits the Nevada/California border. Slightly off the Strip, to the south, is a massive casino and spa called South Point that is a large employer and a favorite hangout for the locals.
Downtown
| Bedroom | Average Rent | Cheapest Rent | Highest Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio Apartments | $1,046 | $725 | $1,532 |
| 1 Bedroom Apartments | $1,233 | $799 | $3,168 |
| 2 Bedroom Apartments | $1,402 | $850 | $2,071 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartments | $2,158 | $1,530 | $2,787 |
This is the older part of Las Vegas that predates the development of the famous Las Vegas Strip. Downtown is the actual city of Las Vegas, whereas the Strip is outside the city limits and part of Clark County. Downtown has a free light show on Fremont Street where the casinos are located. Both tourists and locals enjoy the “First Friday” celebrations, which are a street party that happens each month in the Arts District.
The employers in this area are the casinos, which are Binion’s Gambling Hall, California, Circa Resort & Casino, The D Las Vegas, Downtown Grand, El Cortez, Four Queens, Fremont, Golden Gate, Golden Nugget, Main Street, and The Plaza.
Casino Center
| Bedroom | Average Rent | Cheapest Rent | Highest Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio Apartments | $1,060 | $725 | $1,678 |
| 1 Bedroom Apartments | $1,679 | $850 | $3,168 |
| 2 Bedroom Apartments | $1,770 | $850 | $3,595 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartments | $2,158 | $1,530 | $2,787 |
This neighborhood is in the heart of the action, and if you rent a place here, you can walk to work, except when it is too hot during summer.
Central Las Vegas
| Bedroom | Average Rent | Cheapest Rent | Highest Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio Apartments | $1,181 | $700 | $2,879 |
| 1 Bedroom Apartments | $1,381 | $329 | $3,168 |
| 2 Bedroom Apartments | $1,564 | $850 | $3,595 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartments | $1,759 | $1,150 | $3,555 |
| 4 Bedroom Apartments | $2,303 | $950 | $3,625 |
This area has a more relaxed feeling than being so close to the casinos. If you have musical or acting talent, or want to be an usher, you may find work at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. Go ahead and audition for a locally-produced show. You might become a star.
Bonanza Village
| Bedroom | Average Rent | Cheapest Rent | Highest Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio Apartments | $980 | $885 | $1,041 |
| 1 Bedroom Apartments | $1,186 | $931 | $1,559 |
| 2 Bedroom Apartments | $1,478 | $999 | $1,776 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartments | $1,729 | $1,609 | $1,933 |
This area is on the northern side of the freeway, just west of the “spaghetti bowl” of the highways that all mix up in the center of downtown. Cox Communications has one of its main offices near this area. The Cox Communications career center has jobs for all facets of the business of providing telephone, cable, and Internet connections for its customers.
Downtown East
| Bedroom | Average Rent | Cheapest Rent | Highest Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio Apartments | $775 | $700 | $1,045 |
| 1 Bedroom Apartments | $973 | $710 | $1,215 |
| 2 Bedroom Apartments | $1,163 | $950 | $1,415 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartments | $1,561 | $1,446 | $1,740 |
This is a large area that goes from downtown all the way out to Nellis Air Force Base, which makes it a short commute if you are employed on the base. You don’t have to be in the military to work as a civilian on the Air Force base.
Summerlin
Summerlin is a master-planned community that has been growing for decades. New construction and renovation of residential and commercial properties continue without stopping. If that is your skill set, you may find work here in the construction trades.
Summerlin
| Bedroom | Average Rent | Cheapest Rent | Highest Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio Apartments | $1,561 | $1,206 | $1,777 |
| 1 Bedroom Apartments | $1,517 | $1,037 | $2,281 |
| 2 Bedroom Apartments | $1,644 | $1,100 | $2,844 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartments | $1,700 | $1,503 | $3,344 |
| 4 Bedroom Apartments | $950 | $950 | $950 |
This is the first section that was built out for the master-planned development. Since the houses are a bit older than the newer ones in other parts of Summerlin, many find work in this neighborhood as a handyperson, gardener, painter, etc., helping the homeowners maintain their properties and keeping them in compliance with the strict homeowner association (HOA) rules.
Summerlin North
| Bedroom | Average Rent | Cheapest Rent | Highest Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Bedroom Apartments | $1,716 | $1,262 | $2,559 |
| 2 Bedroom Apartments | $2,093 | $1,525 | $7,442 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartments | $2,302 | $1,630 | $3,370 |
| 4 Bedroom Apartments | $2,950 | $2,950 | $2,950 |
Allegiant Travel, which operates resorts and an airline, is headquartered in Summerlin on the northern side.
Summerlin South
| Bedroom | Average Rent | Cheapest Rent | Highest Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio Apartments | $1,501 | $1,320 | $2,088 |
| 1 Bedroom Apartments | $1,646 | $1,150 | $2,559 |
| 2 Bedroom Apartments | $1,990 | $1,413 | $7,442 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartments | $2,354 | $1,650 | $3,925 |
| 4 Bedroom Apartments | $3,333 | $2,500 | $4,550 |
Full House Resorts is headquartered in this neighborhood and employs over 1,000 people.
Summerlin Southwest
| Bedroom | Average Rent | Cheapest Rent | Highest Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio Apartments | $1,712 | $1,320 | $2,200 |
| 1 Bedroom Apartments | $1,786 | $1,150 | $3,777 |
| 2 Bedroom Apartments | $2,051 | $1,266 | $7,442 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartments | $2,326 | $1,477 | $5,010 |
| 4 Bedroom Apartments | $2,709 | $1,995 | $4,550 |
This area is near Red Rock Canyon. There are jobs at the Red Rock Resort & Casino, which is popular with locals and is part of the Station Casinos chain. If you are good at working with horses, you might get a job helping the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) monitor and control the herds of wild burros that are found on the federal land at the outskirts of town.
Sun City Summerlin
| Bedroom | Average Rent | Cheapest Rent | Highest Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Bedroom Apartments | $1,724 | $1,575 | $1,903 |
| 2 Bedroom Apartments | $1,928 | $1,810 | $2,128 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartments | $2,055 | $2,055 | $2,055 |
ALSAC / St. Jude Children’s Hospital offers many jobs for those who live nearby in Sun City.
Henderson
| Bedroom | Average Rent | Cheapest Rent | Highest Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio Apartments | $1,373 | $875 | $2,020 |
| 1 Bedroom Apartments | $1,676 | $695 | $6,400 |
| 2 Bedroom Apartments | $1,959 | $1,090 | $8,047 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartments | $2,219 | $1,486 | $9,115 |
| 4 Bedroom Apartments | $2,641 | $2,150 | $3,245 |
The top ten employers (with links to their job boards) in Henderson, Nevada, are:
- The City of Henderson employs over 3,000 people.
- Barclay Services employs 1,000+.
- Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa employs 1,000+.
- St. Rose Dominican Hospital, Siena Campus employs 1,000+.
- Sunset Station Hotel and Casino employs 1,000+.
- Amazon LAS Distribution Center employs 1,000+.
- Henderson Hospital employs 1,000+.
- M Resort, Spa, Casino employs 1,000+.
- St. Rose Dominican Hospital, de Lima Campus employs 500+.
- Las Vegas Raiders – A professional sports and administration company that employs 500+.
Here are some of the popular places to rent an apartment near your work in Henderson:
Mission Hills
| Bedroom | Average Rent | Cheapest Rent | Highest Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Bedroom Apartments | $1,467 | $1,002 | $1,881 |
| 2 Bedroom Apartments | $1,692 | $1,210 | $2,171 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartments | $1,985 | $1,486 | $2,258 |
This neighborhood is known for the lovely 22-acre Mission Hills Park.
River Mountain
| Bedroom | Average Rent | Cheapest Rent | Highest Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Bedroom Apartments | $1,379 | $1,245 | $1,593 |
| 2 Bedroom Apartments | $1,588 | $1,283 | $2,141 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartments | $1,985 | $1,486 | $2,258 |
This area has the 34-mile River Mountain Loop Trail for hiking and mountain biking that connects to Lake Mead and Hoover Dam.
Black Mountain and Highland Hills
| Bedroom | Average Rent | Cheapest Rent | Highest Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio Apartments | $1,875 | $1,735 | $2,020 |
| 1 Bedroom Apartments | $1,874 | $1,002 | $3,269 |
| 2 Bedroom Apartments | $1,812 | $1,210 | $3,684 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartments | $2,072 | $1,486 | $3,969 |
| 4 Bedroom Apartments | $2,150 | $2,150 | $2,150 |
These neighborhoods are near the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area.
Downtown
| Bedroom | Average Rent | Cheapest Rent | Highest Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio Apartments | $1,875 | $1,735 | $2,020 |
| 1 Bedroom Apartments | $1,840 | $1,002 | $3,269 |
| 2 Bedroom Apartments | $1,830 | $1,182 | $3,684 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartments | $2,080 | $1,565 | $3,969 |
| 4 Bedroom Apartments | $2,150 | $2,150 | $2,150 |
The Water Street District is a mixed-use area with lovely apartments. It even has an ice-skating rink (home of the Henderson Silver Knights).
Finding an Apartment Near Work in Las Vegas is Easy!
Now you know why so many people move to Las Vegas, rent an apartment, and find work. There are major employers everywhere you look. And if you don’t like some of the tourists you meet this week, wait until next week, and another 100,000 or so will come to visit Vegas. If you like helping people have a good time, you will love Las Vegas. I came to Las Vegas over 20 years ago and stayed.
