Real Estate · Valley-wide
Las Vegas returns to RentCafe's top 100 places to rent, ranking 92nd as its cost of living falls below the national average
The city of Las Vegas jumped 21 spots to No. 92 on RentCafe's list of the best places to rent, its first top 100 finish since 2023, driven by lower living costs and a stronger local economy.
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What happened
The city of Las Vegas has returned to RentCafe's list of the 100 best places in the country to rent, landing at No. 92, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. The online rental marketplace bases its ranking on 20 different metrics. It is the first time the city has made the top 100 since 2023.
Georgie Gulimas, a communications specialist for RentCafe, told the Review-Journal it was a good year for affordability in the city. The Review-Journal reported that Las Vegas appears to be inching back toward affordability by several measures.
How the ranking has moved
A three-year slide, then a rebound
Las Vegas appeared on RentCafe's first report in 2023 at No. 77. It fell to No. 95 in 2024 and then to No. 113 last year, according to the Review-Journal. This year's spot at No. 92 is a gain of 21 positions.
Henderson and North Las Vegas left off
Gulimas said Henderson and North Las Vegas were not included because full cost of living data was not available for them. According to metrics provided to the Review-Journal, both cities improved on affordability last year.
What drove the jump
Cost of living
In an email, Gulimas said the city's cost of living went from 1.5 percent above the national average to 4.5 percent below it in a single year. She paired that shift with a growing local economy as the reason for the climb. In the housing and cost of living category, Las Vegas held steady at No. 65.
Jobs and income
"Its biggest strength is a sharply improving local economy, ranked 88th nationally," Gulimas told the Review-Journal. She said that economic ranking rose 46 spots in one year. Job growth went from negative 3 percent to plus 2 percent, and renter income growth reached 30.3 percent over five years, she said. She also pointed to a growing educated workforce.
Where Las Vegas still lags
Quality of life
Quality of life was the category where the city slipped, dropping one spot, according to RentCafe. Gulimas said it is the city's lowest category, partly because of a low social association rate. She tied that to the transient, hospitality-driven economy, which she said makes it harder to build a stable civic fabric.
Three of the seven quality of life metrics did improve from the previous year, Gulimas said. Those were more public transport users, higher school ratings and more days with good air quality. "These are modest gains, but they are pointing in the right direction," she told the Review-Journal.
How other cities ranked
McKinney, Texas, took the top spot on RentCafe's list. It was followed by Huntsville, Alabama; Austin, Texas; Wilmington, North Carolina; and Atlanta, Georgia.
At the other end, Anaheim finished last. Riverside, California; Brooklyn; Queens; and Stockton, California, rounded out the bottom of the list. For more on the local housing market, see our real estate coverage and our recent report on Las Vegas home listings.
What to watch next
- Henderson and North Las Vegas remain off RentCafe's list because, according to the company, full cost of living data was not available for them.
- Quality of life is still the city's lowest-ranked category in the RentCafe report, after slipping one spot this year.
- RentCafe described the improvements in public transport use, school ratings and air quality as modest gains.
