Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
For retirees on a fixed income, every percentage point matters. Our retiree-weighted model scored 5 cities in Nevada and Las Vegas (index 106 — whether that matters depends on your situation — , healthcare 110, zero state income tax) takes the top spot.
For retirees on a fixed income, every percentage point matters. Our retiree-weighted model scored 5 cities in Nevada and Las Vegas (index 106 — whether that matters depends on your situation — , healthcare 110, zero state income tax) takes the top spot.
Look, a closer look at Las Vegas: the cost index of 106 breaks down to a Utilities index of 98 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 116 (weakest). Median rent is $1,695/month — 11% below the national median — while household income sits at $70,723, meaning locals spend about 29% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
Retirement affordability is about protecting fixed income. Our model weights healthcare costs at 25 points (medical bills are the #1 financial risk in retirement), cost index at 25 points, and state tax burden at 15 points (taxes directly reduce pension and Social Security income). Las Vegas leads with manageable medical expenses, no state income tax, and a cost index of 106. Henderson offers competitive healthcare and cost metrics (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
The same data, viewed through a different lens: Here's the state-level backdrop: Nevada averages a 111 cost index, $1,817/mo rent, and $80,315 income across 5 cities. That's $78 less than the national rent average. No income tax and Vegas-fueled growth — and that context shapes every city in this ranking.
The short version: Las Vegas stands out — but so do several runners-up that might fit your lifestyle better. And in practical terms, treat this ranking as the starting line, not the finish. Every city links to a full profile. Every profile has salary data by profession. And the calculator lets you model your own numbers. That's how rankings become decisions.
#1 Ranked: Las Vegas — cost index 106, rent $1,695/mo, income $70,723
Retiree-weighted scoring: healthcare index 110, no state income tax, cost index 106 — protecting fixed retirement income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
660,929 residents · Nevada
Las Vegas earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 106 cost index sits 6 points below the national baseline, and the $70,723 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $422,842 — $44,528 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 98, while Housing trails at 116.
337,305 residents · Nevada
A closer look at Henderson: the cost index of 110 — not a number you see very often, by the way — breaks down to a Utilities index of 102 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 126 (weakest). And broadly, median rent is $1,772/month — 6% below the national median — while household income sits at $88,654, meaning locals spend about 24% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard (more on that below).
284,771 residents · Nevada
A closer look at North Las Vegas: the cost index of 108 breaks down to a Utilities index of 99 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 119 (weakest). Median rent is $1,819/month — 4% below the national median — while household income sits at $76,772, meaning locals spend about 28% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room (a figure that keeps climbing, by the way). Hard to argue with that.
274,915 residents · Nevada
Why Reno ranks #4: the numbers tell a clear story. And on balance, at 115 on the cost index, residents spend roughly 3% more than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,830/month — make of that what you will — while the median household pulls in $78,448/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 106, though Housing (137) lags behind. Home prices average $559,591 — $92,221 above the national median (more on that below).
110,323 residents · Nevada
Real talk: Why Sparks ranks #5: the numbers tell a clear story. And roughly speaking, at 115 on the cost index, residents spend roughly 3% more than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,967/month while the median household pulls in $86,979/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 106, though Housing (138) lags behind. Home prices average $523,431 — $56,061 above the national median (that's pre-tax, of course).
Our persona scoring model weights cost of living, income, rent, healthcare costs, tax burden, and population size differently based on what matters most to retirees. Each factor contributes 10-25 points to a 0-100 composite score. Cities with the highest composite rank first. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Las Vegas ranks #1 in Nevada for this analysis with a cost index of 106 and median income of $70,723.
Las Vegas scores highest for retirees due to its strong income potential, median rent of $1,695/mo, and competitive median income of $70,723.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Las Vegas (ranked #1) has a cost index of 106 and rent of $1,695/mo, while Sparks (ranked #5) has a cost index of 115 and rent of $1,967/mo — a 9-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Las Vegas is $1,695/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $200 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Las Vegas is $422,842, which is 6.0× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
Nevada has a 0% state income tax rate — one of the states with no income tax. Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.23%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.48%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.