Everyone is welcome in Las Vegas, with close to one million visitors coming each week. Tourists are great; however, this guide is for those who want to live in Las Vegas and learn more about what it is like to become a resident of the thriving metropolis. Hi, my name is William, and I am your local guide for all things about Vegas.
Building a Mega City in the Middle of the Desert
Las Vegas went from being little more than a train stop to a western town with saloons and gambling halls for the workers building the Hoover Dam to the entertainment mecca it is today.
The idea that sparked the explosion of development was put forth by mobster Bugsy Siegel, who built the Flamingo casino, which opened in 1946, offering gambling and entertainment in a place as far away from police supervision as possible.
Corporate interests took over from the mob in the 1960s and 1970s, with each new resort project trying to outdo the others.
Nowadays, Las Vegas is a large, growing city with a population of over 660,000 and more than 2.4 million people living in the surrounding Las Vegas Metro Area, which includes the cities of North Las Vegas and Henderson. There is also the popular master-planned community of Summerlin, built on land bought by Howard Hughes, which is in an unincorporated part of Clark County.
The guide is organized for the three main groups of people who live in Vegas, with suggestions of great places to live that fit your lifestyle. The main categories of people who live in Vegas are: 1) Retirees, 2) Workers, and 3) Students.
I lived in Las Vegas long enough to be in all three of these demographic groups. I’ve been a student at the University of Las Vegas (UNLV), a casino worker at Caesar’s, and now I am a retiree volunteering to help a nonprofit animal rescue organization.
Don’t worry, even if you don’t happen to be in one of those distinct groups, I have some excellent suggestions for locations to consider for living large in Vegas. To get started, here is an overview of the average rents you will discover in the Las Vegas Metro Area.
Cost of Renting an Apartment in Las Vegas
| Bedroom | Average Rent | Cheapest Rent | Highest Rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio Apartments | $1,222 | $650 | $5,335 |
| 1 Bedroom Apartments | $1,470 | $329 | $10,000+ |
| 2 Bedroom Apartments | $1,714 | $750 | $7,820 |
| 3 Bedroom Apartments | $2,021 | $900 | $4,830 |
| 4 Bedroom Apartments | $1,986 | $1,150 | $3,895 |
| 5 Bedroom Apartments | $3,333 | $2,300 | $4,800 |
Popular Las Vegas Neighborhoods for Retirees
Retirees come to Vegas from all over the USA. One attraction is that there is no state income tax in Nevada. That means one less tax form to fill out each year. The lifestyle in Vegas is suitable for those who like low-maintenance living, safety, and peace & quiet. Communities reserved for people who are 55+ offer maintenance of common areas and landscaping.
As people get older, having access to healthcare becomes a concern. There are major hospitals in Summerlin and Henderson, and plenty of clinics offering specialty care.
Being part of an active community is a terrific way to maintain your quality of life. Sun City Summerlin (a 55+ community) has clubhouses with fitness and arts & crafts classes. There are more than 80 active hobby clubs. There are swimming pools, lovely golf courses, walking/hiking trails, and social clubs to enjoy.
Downtown Summerlin is the place locals go for dining, shopping, and entertainment. You can find a nice apartment there and never need to leave the community for most of your needs.
Anthem, in the Henderson area, has a country club and a golf course. Homes and apartments in this community are designed for privacy and peace of mind.
For safety, the Siena neighborhood in Summerlin is protected by gated security entrances and walls. Siena has the Siena Community Association that manages a lovely indoor swimming pool/spa and a golf course in the middle of a vast green space.
Red Rock Canyon, which is near Summerlin Southwest, has walking trails, and natural scenery. There is also the Red Rock Canyon Casino Resort that caters to locals.
All these neighborhoods are popular with retirees and make a good choice for a place to rent in Las Vegas. Next up are my suggestions for workers who prefer to rent a place closer to their job.
Popular Las Vegas Neighborhoods for Workers
If you are going to work for one of the major casinos on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip, you have a couple of options to consider. First, you can rent an apartment within a close distance of the casino where you work. There are groups of modest apartment complexes behind some of the major casinos that are designed for workers, not tourists. These are “no frills” places to crash in neighborhoods like Paradise, which is near the airport.
Vegas is non-stop, so many workers have night shifts. It is convenient when you get off work to be able to get to your apartment fast and catch some Z’s. Second, you can also find some modestly priced apartments on the western side of Interstate 15 in a popular area like Spring Valley.
I love Asian stuff, so if you go west of the freeway, you can find Chinatown Vegas located on Spring Mountain Road. There you will find plenty of cheap restaurants (150+) and all-you-can-eat buffets offering Asian food and, my favorite, Pho noodles. If you feel like cooking authentic Asian styles, there are six Asian supermarkets filled with items you might see in Hong Kong.
If your casino job has you standing on your feet for many hours each day, treat yourself to a pleasant foot massage at a foot spa. You will be delighted and afterwards, feel like you are walking on air.
Need to wind down a bit when you get off work at 2 am? Try your singing at one of the dozen karaoke lounges and enjoy Asian beer with plates of steamed snow crab and kimchi fried rice.
Did your boss really piss you off, but you just had to swallow your pride and take it to keep from losing your job? There is a great way to get rid of your aggression at a place called the Wreck Room in Chinatown. You wear protective gear and then get to smash ordinary things with a crowbar or a baseball bat.
It is easy to forget you are in the desert when you are in the heart of Chinatown Vegas.
Popular Las Vegas Neighborhoods for Students
Many students who go to the University of Las Vegas (UNLV) prefer to live off campus and look for a place to rent in the University District, which can be shared with other young people.
Finding a Place on the Bus Line
When I did not have a working car, I decided to choose my neighborhood by first checking the bus routes. I bought a day pass and got on the buses that stopped at the UNLV campus. Then I rode along, making notes of areas that looked appealing. After I came back to school, I went to the library and used the Internet connection to check the Las Vegas map of available apartments in areas I liked.
For a few dollars to pay for the bus pass and my time for the investigation, I found a nice place for a wonderful price on Flamingo Road, which I would probably not have found any other way—a nice, big, two-bedroom apartment with two bathrooms that a roommate and I could share and pay $600 each for monthly rent. This was way nicer than living in a tiny studio apartment for the same price.
Believe me, if you must take the LV Metro bus to school, it is very convenient to have your apartment located on a bus route that has frequent service.
The Arts District in Downtown Las Vegas
If you are young or young at heart and want a more Bohemian lifestyle, you may enjoy living downtown in the Arts District. The buildings are older, and the rents are modest. Cheap apartments start at $500.
I found a studio apartment above an art gallery and used it to explore my lifelong wish to be an oil painter. My paintings were not particularly good, and I never sold any, even though the gallery owners let me hang my art in their galleries. However, I had a blast when I lived in this area.
There is a big street party each month on the First Friday, which makes it easy to enjoy time with the locals and tourists who are looking for something more eclectic than the casinos.
To fill out your Bohemian wardrobe, be sure to stop by the Main Street Peddlers, which was voted the best thrift shop in Vegas.
Other Popular Neighborhoods Near Las Vegas
Even if you don’t happen to be a retiree, a worker, or a student, there are lots of other places that have nice apartments for rent. There are many new apartment complexes, and the competition in the local real estate market keeps the rents at manageable levels.
If you are not sure about your future plans, you may find an apartment that has a short-term lease of six months or even one that rents on a monthly basis.
North Las Vegas Apartments
To find more modest rents or get a larger place for a great price, you may consider apartments in North Las Vegas. This area is a newly built city far from the Las Vegas Strip, so it would not be convenient if you work in that area, but if you have other work, the rental units in North Las Vegas might be a better value when compared to those near the Strip.
Finding a Place to Rent in Henderson, Nevada
Henderson is a separate city from Las Vegas. You wouldn’t notice this when driving around because the urban sprawl across the Las Vegas Valley caused all the communities and county areas to blend together into one massive Las Vegas Metro Area.
There is a popular casino resort in this area that caters to the locals called Green Valley Ranch Resort Spa & Casino. Be sure to sign up for a member’s card to get offers for discounts and prizes based on your purchases and gambling activity. If you don’t like gambling, give yourself a spa day as a treat! My parents came to visit, and my mom fell in love with the spa while my dad enjoyed himself playing blackjack in the casino.
Also in this area is the M Resort Spa Casino, which hosts major musicians when they come to Vegas on tour. I saw many bands that were popular decades ago. It is hilarious to see older people, like me, rocking out to the songs they remember from their youth.
One time, we were thrown out of the concert area for smoking pot while watching an aged Judas Priest sing their hit song, “Breaking the Law.” We have medical marijuana cards, so it was not what we were smoking that caused the problem; it was that we were smoking. We laughed so much after being 86’d while we sat at the casino bar, and the music was loud enough to enjoy even there.
Come to Vegas and Stay
I hope this short guide will help open your mind about many unique things found in Las Vegas that are enjoyed by the people who live there. I am still exploring the many ethnic restaurants, going to classes and events sponsored by the neighborhood associations, and looking for new experiences, even after decades of living in Vegas. Did I mention I adopted a mini burro from the Red Rock Canyon National Park? I rented a ranch near the national park, just to care for him. He is so cute and enjoys the shade in my backyard. We call him, “Burrito (Little Burro).” My dogs love him.
In Vegas, there is something for everyone, and if you take the time to explore with an open mind, you can find a neighborhood that will match your lifestyle. I once bought a ping pong table at 3 am to play the game with my drunk friends, but that is a story for another day.
