You don’t have to win on the Strip to find your strip of land in Nevada.
We researched where your slot machine winnings will go the furthest using Saturday Night Science and Census data. We created a list of the top ten most affordable places in Nevada for 2024 based on incomes, home prices, and living costs.
The cheapest places to live in Nevada extend beyond the flashing lights and spinning slots of Las Vegas.
Nevada’s affordable places include areas around cities like Reno, Sparks, and Henderson. The less you spend on your cost of living, the more you’ll have to spend on tickets to the Area 51 party in Groom Lake or a night at the Clown Motel in Tonopah.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 most affordable places to live in Nevada
What’s the cheapest place to live in Nevada? The cheapest place to live in Nevada is Laughlin.
Read on to discover more about the cheapest places to live in Nevada – where the cost of living doesn’t have to be a gamble.
Check out some more reading about Nevada and the cheapest places in the country:
The 10 Cheapest Places To Live In Nevada For 2024
/10
Population: 8,184
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 83
Median Income: $44,359
Median Home Price: $260,644
Median Rent: $930
You’ll be laughing all the way to the bank in Laughlin, the cheapest city in Nevada.
Located in southern Clark County, the city has the lowest average home price at $260,644 and a modest average rent of $930. With a median income of $44,359and a cost of living index at 83, affordability is no gamble in Laughlin.
More on Laughlin: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 44,711
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 89
Median Income: $54,988
Median Home Price: $333,513
Median Rent: $1,115
Pahrump, in western Nevada, about 60 miles from Las Vegas, had the eighth cheapest homes at $333,513 and is the second cheapest city in Nevada. The overall cost of living index is 89, which is 12.7% lower than the state average.
Pahrump is home to the Spring Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club.
More on Pahrump: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 9,243
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 90
Median Income: $63,490
Median Home Price: $350,672
Median Rent: $1,162
Fallon, located in Churchill County, Nevada, is one of the most affordable places to live in the state. With a median home value of $350,672 and median rent of $1,162, the overall cost of living in Fallon is rated at 90 out of 100, which is lower than the national average.
One of the reasons why Fallon is a good place to live is due to its low unemployment rate of 4.39%, which is ranked 10th best in the state. The area’s agriculture industry provides job opportunities for its residents. Despite being an arid area, approximately 50,000 acres of pastureland in Churchill County are irrigated with water from the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District.
More on Fallon: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 198,325
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 92
Median Income: $52,476
Median Home Price: $297,018
Median Rent: $1,190
Sunrise Manor, another suburb of Las Vegas, is the fourth cheapest city in Nevada. It has a $297,018 home price, well under the national average. The city’s $52,476 median income balances with a cost of living index of 92.
More on Sunrise Manor: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 44,720
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 92
Median Income: $58,624
Median Home Price: $304,527
Median Rent: $1,350
Whitney, midway between Las Vegas and Henderson, is the fifth lowest cost city in Nevada With an average home price of $304,527 and rent at $1,350, it’s overall cost of living came in at 92. The cost of living is 10 points lower than the state average.
You can use the lower cost of living to spend on fun things like taking a day at the Clark County Wetlands Park.
More on Whitney: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 22,775
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 92
Median Income: $71,471
Median Home Price: $401,384
Median Rent: $1,120
Sun Valley, a gem in the Reno-Sparks region of Washoe County, is the first city outside the Vegas metro to appear on this list. The sixth most affordable city in Nevada, housing is a bargain with a $401,384 home price
The city’s strategic location near State Route 443 opens the doors to jobs with a low 5.05% unemployment rate, the 17th lowest in the state.
More on Sun Valley: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 37,531
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 93
Median Income: $45,709
Median Home Price: $282,111
Median Rent: $1,097
Coming back to the Las Vegas region, we end up in Winchester, the best chester in Nevada for cheap living.
The overall cost of living index of 93 includes low index values for utilities, services, and healthcare. The average home price is the second lowest in the state at $282,111, according to Zillow.
More on Winchester: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 264,022
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 96
Median Income: $71,774
Median Home Price: $385,939
Median Rent: $1,479
The biggest city on the list, North Las Vegas ranks as the eighth most affordable for 2024. With a cost of living below the national average, home prices are only $385,939.
North Las Vegas has easy access to the Strip and a ton of low cost things to do like Craig Ranch Regional Park.
More on North Las Vegas: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 7,144
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 96
Median Income: $82,592
Median Home Price: $328,401
Median Rent: $1,050
And rounding out the list of the cheapest cities in Nevada is Moapa Valley. With a population of 7,144, Moapa Valley has a 96 overall cost of living index, which is 6 points lower than the state average.
At the northern point of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Moapa Valley is about as far away from a major city as any city on this list.
More on Moapa Valley: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 23,035
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 97
Median Income: $84,025
Median Home Price: $368,372
Median Rent: $1,351
Rounding out our list of cheapest places to live in Nevada is Fernley, a city located a half hour east of Reno. Fernley has the most expensive median rent on this list at $1,351, but that’s still well below the statewide average. And Fernley makes up for it by having the 12th cheapest homes in Nevada, with a median price tag of $368,372. And with countless casinos nearby, you’ll never lack for entertainment options in Fernley.
More on Fernley: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Cheapest places to live in Nevada FAQs
The county in Nevada with the lowest cost of living is Lander County. The average living wage in Lander County is $103,327 according to MIT data. Lander County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to Nevada as a whole. Childcare costs $30,118 a year in Lander County for two children compared to the Nevada average of $18,589. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $11,220 per year in Lander County compared to $13,548 on average in Nevada.
The cost of living in Nevada is 3.5% higher than the US average. According to MIT, the required living wage for a family of four with two working parents in Nevada is $92,843 vs the national average for a family of four with two working parents of $89,744. The median income of a Nevada household is $62,043.
The cheapest housing market in Nevada is Lovelock. The average home value in Lovelock is $118,100, the lowest in the state. The average home value in Nevada is $290,200, almost 2.5 times higher than Lovelock.
Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Silver State for 2024
Determining affordability for places in Nevada boils down to how much it costs to live here.
You need to understand your costs relative to what people in the rest of the state are paying.
With that logic in mind, we derived several cost of living statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2018-2022 for Nevada using Saturday Night Science. We indexed the cost of living statistics across the following categories:
- Housing
- Transportation
- Services
- Groceries
- Healthcare
- Utilities
These are then weighted together to produce an overall cost of living index where 100 is the United States average. Anything below 100 is relatively affordable. Anything over 100 is relatively expensive.
We applied the biggest weight to housing as it typically accounts for 25% or more of your budget. Additionally, housing costs are the highest variant cost across a state. We then compare these cost of living metrics for each place in Nevada to figure out which is the least expensive.
The “Cost of Living Index” allows you to rank all of the 33 places in Nevada that have more than 5,000 people from least expensive to most expensive. Any ties went to the larger city.
The place in Nevada with the lowest cost of living according to the data is Laughlin.
We updated this article for 2024. This report reflects our tenth time ranking the cheapest places to live in Nevada.
Nevada Affordabilility Summary
This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in Nevada for 2024, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in Nevada.
The cheapest cities in Nevada are Laughlin, Pahrump, Fallon, Sunrise Manor, Whitney, Sun Valley, Winchester, North Las Vegas, Moapa Valley, and Fernley.
Here’s a look at the most expensive cities in Nevada according to the data:
- Incline Village
- Summerlin South
- Johnson Lane
For more Nevada reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Nevada
- Best Places To Live In Nevada
- Best Places To Buy A House In Nevada
Cheapest Places To Live In Nevada
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Of Living Index | Median Income | Home Prices | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laughlin | 8,184 | 83 | $44,359 | $260,644 | $930 |
| 2 | Pahrump | 44,711 | 89 | $54,988 | $333,513 | $1,115 |
| 3 | Fallon | 9,243 | 90 | $63,490 | $350,672 | $1,162 |
| 4 | Sunrise Manor | 198,325 | 92 | $52,476 | $297,018 | $1,190 |
| 5 | Whitney | 44,720 | 92 | $58,624 | $304,527 | $1,350 |
| 6 | Sun Valley | 22,775 | 92 | $71,471 | $401,384 | $1,120 |
| 7 | Winchester | 37,531 | 93 | $45,709 | $282,111 | $1,097 |
| 8 | North Las Vegas | 264,022 | 96 | $71,774 | $385,939 | $1,479 |
| 9 | Moapa Valley | 7,144 | 96 | $82,592 | $328,401 | $1,050 |
| 10 | Fernley | 23,035 | 97 | $84,025 | $368,372 | $1,351 |
| 11 | Lemmon Valley | 5,221 | 97 | $87,052 | $365,276 | $1,654 |
| 12 | Paradise | 189,733 | 98 | $55,224 | $374,130 | $1,192 |
| 13 | Dayton | 15,415 | 98 | $85,375 | $426,609 | $1,298 |
| 14 | Mesquite | 20,659 | 99 | $69,146 | $372,319 | $1,086 |
| 15 | Las Vegas | 644,835 | 100 | $66,356 | $399,875 | $1,356 |
| 16 | Elko | 20,513 | 100 | $85,000 | $327,254 | $1,142 |
| 17 | Cold Springs | 11,029 | 100 | $85,851 | $419,972 | $1,838 |
| 18 | Winnemucca | 8,354 | 100 | $78,161 | $300,990 | $899 |
| 19 | Carson City | 58,249 | 101 | $67,465 | $458,244 | $1,127 |
| 20 | Spring Valley | 220,114 | 102 | $69,341 | $420,533 | $1,523 |
| 21 | Sparks | 108,025 | 103 | $82,938 | $489,899 | $1,526 |
| 22 | Spring Creek | 15,062 | 103 | $109,952 | $358,671 | $1,463 |
| 23 | Gardnerville Ranchos | 12,057 | 103 | $76,917 | $494,955 | $1,219 |
| 24 | Boulder City | 14,868 | 104 | $76,402 | $439,175 | $1,262 |
| 25 | Reno | 265,196 | 105 | $73,073 | $526,202 | $1,360 |
| 26 | Indian Hills | 5,955 | 105 | $77,256 | $484,307 | $1,416 |
| 27 | Gardnerville | 6,147 | 106 | $66,157 | $573,750 | $1,248 |
| 28 | Henderson | 318,063 | 107 | $85,311 | $461,416 | $1,641 |
| 29 | Enterprise | 225,461 | 109 | $91,165 | $463,796 | $1,700 |
| 30 | Spanish Springs | 16,418 | 116 | $119,830 | $591,570 | $1,841 |
| 31 | Johnson Lane | 6,499 | 119 | $102,477 | $724,948 | $1,726 |
| 32 | Summerlin South | 29,724 | 124 | $110,911 | $665,545 | $2,194 |
| 33 | Incline Village | 9,163 | 167 | $155,195 | $1,400,026 | $1,967 |