[lvoc]

Originally Posted by lovecrowds

I much prefer Florida to Las Vegas. I was in Florida for 2 months and Las Vegas for 8 months.

Florida is far cleaner, far friendlier, far more-laid back then Las Vegas.

Las Vegas is entertaining to say the least as there are 100,000 new visitors in town each day which makes it interesting with the variety of people. I do like that element.

The area though is a terrible place to be single. Its a very married city and its filled with large families. I have no idea why people raise families in Vegas as time and time again the state and city is considered to be one of the worst places to raise a family.

The majority of singles are females and the city is the epicenter of leisure and hospitality industry which is a overwhelmingly female industry. It's very rare for men in Las Vegas to be single as they have a massive variety of single women to choose from.

Las Vegas is no mayberry like San Diego. They are of similar size and San Diego had 37 homicides compared to 136 in Las Vegas last year. San Diego is a very-laid back city of content people, Las Vegans are type A, aggressive and high-strung.

Las Vegas has nearly double the violent crime rate of Los Angeles. The police department in Las Vegas has citizen to officer ratio's that are comperable to small towns in the midwest. They are completely overwhelmed with hardly any resources.

I think wages are low for such a large metropolitan area but it also is probubly the cheapest large metropolitan area in America. Where else can you rent a studio for $450 and a newer house for less then $1000 a month.

So much nonsense. Las Vegas is not cheap. It is roughly the average for the US. Its crime level of a bit above average but in the middle third. Same as Orlando. Murder rate is less than Orlando and a lot less than Miami.
Household income is roughly 20% greater than Orlando though per capita is similar. Larger family impact. Poverty level in Las Vegas is 10% lower than Orlando.
Ratios of male to female are around normal. The strip may well have a tilt to the female but overall it is not a big mover.
What the strip provides is stable and well paid employment for a horde of people. It is quite a reasonable thing to be treated as an asset..

[ScoopLV]

Las Vegas is most certainly cheap compared to the metro areas people tend to move from. Cheap in every definition of the word, in fact.

But what people usually mean by "cheap" is the income-vs-cost-of-living-ratio. And Las Vegas is one of the best in the country for that ratio. Too bad it is so deficient in almost every other way.

[EA]

Find me a 5 bedroom house in a good area for 1k a month in LA, San Fran, Austin, Dallas, Miami, NYC, Buffalo, West Palm, Chicago, or any other city in America. Now, assuming that, by some miracle, you find one, have you factored in the state tax? Property tax? Money spent idling on the freeway every day for 2-4 hours?


Yeah....Vegas IS cheaper than anywhere else.

[lvoc]

Originally Posted by EA

Find me a 5 bedroom house in a good area for 1k a month in LA, San Fran, Austin, Dallas, Miami, NYC, Buffalo, West Palm, Chicago, or any other city in America. Now, assuming that, by some miracle, you find one, have you factored in the state tax? Property tax? Money spent idling on the freeway every day for 2-4 hours?


Yeah....Vegas IS cheaper than anywhere else.

BS Simple to find a five bedroom house all sorts of places for $1000. Just look on the wrong side of the tracks. But one in Summerlin? Green Valley Ranch? Lots of luck.

LV costs are quite average. Stay out of the coastal cities and they are about the same as other nice places.

[HPP_Since_79]

Originally Posted by EA

People here, from what I can tell, seem to be pretty crap. There's certainly no indication that there's anything near an educated populous here.

Compared to the highly erudite population of Florida?

lol....

[FML157]

the happy singles I know are the ones that have a strong social circle, which you won't have as a new resident. You'll probably make $12-$18 an hour with your skill set; that will allow you to live a modest lifestyle in Vegas. It can be hard to meet good like-minded individuals in this town because a lot of people are transient and/or have weird schedules. I think Vegas is very safe, I have never felt unsafe.

[MissIrishLady]

So much information. Very informative. I greatly appreciate it. Thank you everyone. I was making $20/hr in the Palm Beach Gardens area working for a law firm for two years doing your basic administrative tasks. That's not too shabby. I know there are plenty of Meetups in Vegas but you have the same in Florida in all fairness. It would be hard to bring my little dog. Most hotels don't allow them and I had a bad experience at a motel which does allow dogs. Last October I was on my way to Vegas and I chickened out. I was going to stop in New Mexico because I had family there. Never made it. The dog was growling at the door and this guy who was staying next door to me was staring at me unfriendly like through the crack of his door when I initially parked and was getting my luggage out. I got a bad feeling. It made me nervous. Never again staying at a motel. Never. It was in Tupelo, MS. It was right near the birthplace of Elvis. Next morning, I turned around and went straight back home to Florida. The motel was way overpriced at $88. That was the longest 13 hours of my life!!

[lkmax]

Originally Posted by MissIrishLady

Living in Las Vegas as an Unemployed Job-Seeker

Las Vegas is not an ideal city to live in when unemployed and looking for a job. The maximum weekly unemployment benefit in Nevada is $407. It is difficult enough to pay for rent, utilities and food on that amount. When you add car expenses – pretty much a necessity so you can get to job interviews – it becomes a mathematical impossibility.

As of August 2015, the Las Vegas metro area unemployment rate is 7.3%. That is significantly higher than the national rate of 5.5%, and the number does not even tell the whole story. Even if you land a job quickly, there's a decent chance that you will still end up struggling to pay the bills. Thousands of Las Vegas residents who are employed still cannot make a living because service jobs, many of which do not even pay a living wage, dominate the city.

The city's high unemployment rate and dearth of decent-paying jobs combined with Nevada's low unemployment benefit amount makes Las Vegas a poor relocation choice for an unemployed person seeking work.

I don't really think you can thrive in any city when you're unemployed, unless you have a lot of savings or are living with friends or family who can and will help you out.


This:
"It is feasible to live in Las Vegas as a professional on $2,500 per month, or $30,000 per year, but it requires strict budgeting. A yearly income of $40,000 to $50,000 leaves more room for emergencies and extraneous costs, not to mention a little extra money to enjoy the city every once in a while."

and this:
"As of May 2015, the average apartment in Las Vegas rents for $1,135 per month. One-bedroom units rent, on average, for $819, while two-bedroom rentals average $1,028 per month."

both seem pretty positive to me, in regards to a single professional or a couple. As with any big move -- or any other situation in which you are planning on quitting your job before you have another one -- saving up plenty of money ahead of time and living frugally while you're seeking employment is important.

[bigdogmom13]

Originally Posted by MissIrishLady

It would be hard to bring my little dog. Most hotels don't allow them and I had a bad experience at a motel which does allow dogs. Last October I was on my way to Vegas and I chickened out. I was going to stop in New Mexico because I had family there. Never made it. The dog was growling at the door and this guy who was staying next door to me was staring at me unfriendly like through the crack of his door when I initially parked and was getting my luggage out. I got a bad feeling. It made me nervous. Never again staying at a motel. Never.

Seriously? One creepy experience at a motel and you're not only never staying in a motel again, but you're willing to give up your dog to move across the country because of it?

There are plenty of decent motels, in decent locations, that one could stay at that allow pets. I have moved across the country with a dog and a cat in tow with no problems. There are probably plenty of decent hotels that would allow a small dog, too. You just have to do the research...

[SoCalCpl2]

Originally Posted by BBMW

You're issues are more likely skill and experience related than geographic.

To turn things around, you pay for what you get. If you live somewhere with high wages and booming economy, the cost of living is going to be high. If you live somewhere that has a low cost of living, you're likely to see a moribund economy and low/stagnant wages. Take your choice.

Or in the case of California where wages are mostly crap and the cost of living is sky high....