Ranked no. 11: Why Las Vegas appeals to retirees

By Carly Sauvageau, Reno Gazette Journal

People looking to retire may think of Florida as their first choice to spend their golden years, but it’s not just the Sunshine State in WalletHub’s ranking of the best retirement towns in the United States. Cities in Minnesota, Georgia, Wyoming and Ohio also earned top spots on the list.

It may surprise people that one Nevada city nearly made WalletHub’s top 10. Las Vegas led the state in the ranking, while Reno landed further down the list.

WalletHub used data from federal agencies and national organizations, sorting it into categories of affordability, activities, quality of life and health care to determine its ranking.

Here’s a look at which Nevada city is the best in the state to retire to, why it ranked where it did and the other cities in Nevada and nationally that made the list.

What is Nevada’s best retirement town?

Las Vegas was named the best retirement town in Nevada, earning the No. 11 spot nationally.

What are the pros of retiring in Nevada?

Las Vegas ranked high in WalletHub’s categories for activities (No. 6 nationally) and affordability (No. 13).

The activities category is driven by access to recreation and senior centers per capita, along with fishing facilities, golf courses, museums, theaters, art galleries, music venues and bingo halls. It also factors in volunteer opportunities and overall recreation friendliness.

Affordability is largely based on adjusted cost of living compared to other cities. It also factors in tax friendliness, retiree tax burdens and the cost of adult day health care.

What is the downside of living in Nevada?

Meanwhile, Las Vegas ranked low in quality of life (No. 106) and healthcare (No. 165).

Quality of life was determined mostly by mild weather. To a lesser degree, the category is also created using data that shows how walkable the city is, transit access and the amount of people older than 65 in the city that are living in poverty, to name a few.

The health care category looks at death rates, suicide rates, life expectancy and substance abuse among seniors, along with the number of health care facilities and access to specialized care.

What is the #1 best place to retire?

Here are the cities that made WalletHub’s top 10 best cities to retire, Las Vegas barely missing the top 10 list.

1. Orlando, Florida
2. Scottsdale, Arizona
3. Minneapolis, Minnesota
4. Miami, Florida
5. Tampa, Florida
6. Atlanta, Georgia
7. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
8. Cincinnati, Ohio
9. Madison, Wisconsin
10. Casper, Wyoming

Here are the Nevada cities that made the list, including their national ranking.

1. Las Vegas (No. 11 nationally)
2. Henderson (No. 59)
3. Reno (No. 57)
4. North Las Vegas (No. 76)

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