Real Estate · Valley-wide
Las Vegas Valley ranks 66th of 73 North American cities in Numbeo quality-of-life report, with housing costs scoring worst
A Numbeo report placed the Las Vegas Valley near the bottom of 73 North American cities for quality of life, the Review-Journal reported, with the ratio of property prices to income pulling its score down the most.
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What happened
The Las Vegas Valley placed 66th out of 73 cities in North America in a quality-of-life report from Numbeo, an online statistical database, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. That means the valley finished ahead of only seven cities on the list. The report drew on data through mid-2026.
According to the Review-Journal, the valley scored below average on virtually all of the categories the report measured. Its weakest showing came in the ratio of property prices to income, a measure that compares the cost of homes with what residents earn.
How the Numbeo ranking works
What the report measured
Numbeo combined several separate rankings into one overall quality-of-life result. The Review-Journal reported that the categories included the following.
- Purchasing power
- Safety
- Healthcare
- Cost of living
- Property price to income ratio
- Traffic commute time
- Pollution
- Climate
Where other cities landed
Los Angeles finished last in the report, the Review-Journal reported. The cities just above it were Detroit; New York; Regina, Canada; Winnipeg, Canada; Hamilton, Canada; and Phoenix. Those seven were the only cities the Las Vegas Valley outranked.
At the other end of the list, Ottawa, Canada, ranked first in North America. Tampa, Florida; Oklahoma City; and Tucson, Arizona, followed, according to the report.
Housing costs and wages
Prices rose while paychecks stalled
The Review-Journal reported that home prices in the valley and most of Southern Nevada have grown sharply since the pandemic. Over the same stretch, wage growth across Nevada, and especially in the valley, has largely stayed flat since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the newspaper reported.
A C-minus for affordability
The Review-Journal also pointed to a recent Realtor.com ranking that gave Nevada a C- for housing affordability and homebuilding. Readers following local prices can find more in our real estate coverage and our report on Clark County home prices in the third quarter.
Other studies with similar findings
WalletHub ranks Nevada 45th
A WalletHub study recently named Nevada one of the worst places to live in the country and ranked the state 45th, the Review-Journal reported. The newspaper said the ranking was largely due to low scores in four main areas: affordability, economy, education, and healthcare and safety.
Consumer Affairs ranks Nevada sixth worst to move to
A Consumer Affairs study ranked Nevada as the sixth worst state to move to, according to the Review-Journal. That study largely used data from 2025. It weighed metrics including affordability, public safety, economic strength, healthcare and education.
What to watch next
- The gap between home prices and wages in the valley, which the Review-Journal reported has persisted since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The valley's property price to income ratio, its lowest-scoring category in a Numbeo report that covered data only through mid-2026.
- Nevada's C- grade from Realtor.com for housing affordability and homebuilding.
