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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 99, healthcare 100, zero state income tax) takes the top spot (more on that below).
#1 Ranked: Las Vegas — cost index 99, rent $1,695/mo, income $70,723
Retiree-weighted scoring: healthcare index 100, no state income tax, cost index 99 — protecting fixed retirement income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
For retirees on a fixed income, every percentage point matters. Our retiree-weighted model scored 5 cities in Nevada and Las Vegas (index 99, healthcare 100, zero state income tax) takes the top spot (more on that below).
The #1 spot goes to Las Vegas, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,695/month — saving renters $2,400 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 99, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Healthcare at 100. A 29% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
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 low healthcare costs, no state income tax, and a cost index of 99. Henderson offers competitive healthcare and cost metrics.
One more layer before the full breakdown: The 5 cities we track in Nevada paint a surprisingly balanced picture. Average cost index: 106. Median rent: $1,817/month. Household income: $80,315. Nevada is known for no income tax and Vegas-fueled growth — and the data backs that reputation convincingly.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
660,929 residents · Nevada
Dive into Las Vegas's numbers: cost index 99 (12 points below national average), rent $1,695/month, income $70,723, and a home price of $422,842. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 99, while Healthcare runs 100. As a major city with 660,929 residents, amenities and job markets are robust. A real contender.
337,305 residents · Nevada
Why Henderson ranks #2: the numbers tell a clear story. You get the picture. At 103 on the cost index, residents save roughly 8% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,772/month while the median household pulls in $88,654/year. The Healthcare category is particularly strong at 101, though Housing (103) lags behind. Home prices average $483,159 — $15,789 above the national median (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
284,771 residents · Nevada
So, North Las Vegas. Cost index of 106, rent at $1,819/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $76,772, which is below the national median. It's fine. Not great, not bad (more on that below). Solidly above average.
274,915 residents · Nevada
A closer look at Reno: the cost index of 107 breaks down to a Healthcare index of 101 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 107 (weakest). Median rent is $1,830/month — 3% below the national median — while household income sits at $78,448, meaning locals spend about 28% of income on rent. It's fine. Not great, not bad. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
110,323 residents · Nevada
The #5 spot goes to Sparks, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,967/month — costing renters $864 more per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 103, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 115. A 27% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone (that's pre-tax, of course).
Our persona scoring model weights cost, income, rent, healthcare, taxes, and city size based on what matters most to retirees. Each factor scores 10-25 points out of a 100-point composite. The guide ranks every tracked city in Nevada by this personalized metric. 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 99 and median income of $70,723.
Las Vegas scores highest for retirees due to its below-average cost of living, 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 99 and rent of $1,695/mo, while Sparks (ranked #5) has a cost index of 115 and rent of $1,967/mo — a 16-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.