The Real Cost of Retiring in Las Vegas: Can You Afford It?

Las Vegas is one of the most popular retirement destinations in the United States. It's not just because we have 24-hour taco stands, but that is part of it. The real draw is the lifestyle, the weather, and the tax benefits that make your retirement dollars stretch further than they would in most other states. But how much do you actually need to retire here comfortably?

I'm Micah Bleecher, and I've lived in Las Vegas for more than 20 years. I help people enjoy their retirement in this amazing city, and today I'm pulling back the curtain on what it really costs to live here. I'll break down the essentials, housing, taxes, hidden expenses, and then show you what your budget can get at three different price points: $500,000, $1 million, and $1.5 million. We'll tour homes in Del Webb at Lake Las Vegas , Regency at Summerlin , Sun City Anthem , Sun City Summerlin , and Shoreline at Lake Las Vegas to see exactly what kind of lifestyle each budget unlocks.

Nevada has no state income tax, and our property taxes here in Clark County are about 25% below the national average. When I tell people what the taxes are on a house they're looking at, they're oftentimes shocked how low the property taxes are. That's a distinct advantage of living here. Housing has gone up in Las Vegas, but when I look on Zillow and pull up a random zip code somewhere in the middle of Nebraska, I find that housing has gone up almost as much percentage-wise. The difference is that here, you're keeping more of your money every single month because the state isn't taking a cut of your income.

Table of Contents

• What It Really Costs to Live in Las Vegas as a Retiree
• Del Webb at Lake Las Vegas
• Regency at Summerlin
• Sun City Anthem
• Sun City Summerlin
• Shoreline at Lake Las Vegas (Blue Heron)
• Which Las Vegas Retirement Community Is Right for You?
• Conclusion

What It Really Costs to Live in Las Vegas as a Retiree

To figure out the real cost of living in Las Vegas, I went on quite a few different websites that calculate monthly expenses for various cities. I don't know how accurate all of those are. I ended up having to take out my own checkbook and had QuickBooks on the screen, comparing it to what my own expenses are. We did find a website called bestplaces.net that calculates monthly expenses, and we found that, at least for our experience, to be about as close to reality as what we could find out there.

According to Best Places, it takes $51,000 for a single person to live in Las Vegas . When we looked at our expenses, popped up QuickBooks and our checkbook, and looked at our check register and what goes out every month, that seems like it would be tight but about right for a single person. And then Best Places said that it would take just over $71,000 for a couple to live here . And again, I looked at my expenses and tried to figure out what it costs for me and my wife, and it would be tight, but I think a couple could live for $71,000 in Las Vegas.

Clearly one of the biggest factors is going to be housing. Whether you rent, whether you buy, whether you pay cash or take on a mortgage, housing is gonna be one of the biggest factors in your monthly expenses. For most retirees, housing makes up about 30 to 40% of their overall budget. But if you owned your own home outright, it would free up thousands of dollars each year that would otherwise go to monthly mortgage payments. When there's no mortgage, monthly expenses become a lot more manageable, even when there are other big expenses like taxes, insurance, HOA costs, and things like that.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about. In many desirable active adult communities in Las Vegas , whether you're renting or buying and taking on a mortgage, it can run you at least $2,000 or $3,000 a month, maybe more if you buy a more expensive home. When you multiply that times 12, we're talking $24,000 to $36,000 or more a year that can be used for things other than housing. Imagine what you could do with that money if you weren't making a mortgage payment. For many retirees, living mortgage-free brings up more opportunities for travel, for healthcare, and more of the things that bring joy to your retirement years.

Another factor to consider is whether to downsize or stay in your current home. Some retirees choose a smaller, low-maintenance home that just has reduced costs when it comes to upkeep and maintenance. I've seen others retire very well and opt for a more spacious luxury home that matches their lifestyle and dreams. Either way you go, your choice of homes is gonna have a major impact on your overall budget.

Even if you're planning to take on a small mortgage, oftentimes there's a strategy behind that. Some retirees prefer to keep more cash on hand for investments, for emergencies, for dream vacations, rather than keeping it tied up in an expensive home. The key takeaway is understanding how your housing choice shapes your retirement. What works for one person may not work well for you. It's important to understand what your needs, capabilities, and limitations are. It's important to weigh your options out carefully.

Hidden Costs That Can Surprise Retirees

Now that we've covered housing, to some additional expenses, sometimes surprise expenses that can impact our overall budget. Being mindful of these hidden costs is going to allow us retirees to plan better and avoid financial surprises. The main thing here is not to stress. It's impossible to predict every curveball that life's gonna throw at you, but even just a little bit of forethought can make unexpected expenses much more manageable.

Property taxes and insurance. Even if you own your own home outright with no mortgage, you still have to pay taxes. And it's a very good idea to get insurance even though the bank doesn't require it, because there is no bank when you have no mortgage. There's no bank that's going to require that you have insurance. But if you ever have a total loss or a disaster, you're going to really miss having to make those payments on that policy, even though it's very difficult sometimes. Property taxes can increase over time, and clearly insurance rates go up. Insurance is a matter of risk sharing, and between what's going on in Los Angeles and the floods in North Carolina and other hurricanes and tornadoes and disasters around the country, insurance is just gonna go up. The cost of putting things back together, replacement cost, all of that has gone up. And so insurance is gonna reflect that as well.

Home maintenance and repairs. Unexpected repairs, big ones like a new roof or an HVAC system, can cost many thousands of dollars. I know I've had to replace a roof. Routine maintenance like landscaping, pest control, housekeeping, pool guy, all of that can add up. In luxury communities, gated communities, sometimes the HOA-mandated upkeep can be burdensome. The cost of maintenance in some cases for some items have gone up so much. Sometimes I wonder if it's a better idea just to not do the annual maintenance, let it go, and just replace it when the system fails. I don't know, but that is something to consider as the price of everything seems to keep going up. People forget that even in new homes, there are maintenance items that cost money every single month. New homes might be a bit less expensive than used homes when it comes to maintenance, but there are still items that need to be taken care of and looked after every month.

Homeowners association fees. We've seen them as low as $94 and as high as $600 or more , especially in communities where there are premium amenities. These fees often increase over time and can occasionally include special assessments for parts of the community that need maintenance, something that comes up. So it's not always just your monthly HOA fee to consider. In some of our videos, we've talked about HOA fees being even as high as $1,200 in some luxury condominiums . It costs a lot to manage that whole condo process, and when they take all of the maintenance away from you, they've got to add it back in the form of a fee that they end up paying to get everything done.

Health insurance and medical expenses. Medicare or regular health insurance doesn't always cover everything. It doesn't cover dental, vision. Medicare doesn't cover podiatry. I guess feet are not part of your body. I think that's pretty funny with Medicare. Regular insurance pays for your feet when you have a regular problem when you're a young person. When you're an old person and your feet start to have problems, Medicare says, uh, we're not paying for that. I don't know how that works, but anyway, it doesn't cover podiatry. Supplemental insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs for, say, prescriptions can add up quickly. Then there are the expenses that are not covered at all, some experimental expenses. There are certain things that you need to do to stay healthy that insurance just doesn't cover. Preventative healthcare is not free, right? I mean, people say, hey, save money, eat at home. Well, if you eat healthy at home, that food is not free and it's not cheap either. So all of these little things add up to our monthly expenses.

Utilities and hidden service fees. Water, trash, sewer, energy bills, all of those can increase over time and they are subject to inflation and seasonal changes. Some of them are even impacted by the climate change that we experience. Some communities bundle expenses into various fees and so forth, but not always, and it's important to check that out. It can lead to unexpected billing.

Transportation costs. If you retire in a suburban or a more rural area, you may need to drive more to get to wherever you need to go, and that's going to increase fuel and maintenance costs on your vehicles. Some retirees need 2 cars depending on how active you are. Some people, both parties in a relationship, both need a car depending on the level of activities that both of you are involved with. You may need to budget for Uber or Lyft or other ridesharing services, or even senior shuttles in some cases.

Recreational activities and social events. All of the 55+ communities in Las Vegas that I'm aware of offer social events and all kinds of activities. You can often save a lot of money on golf by buying an annual membership. But it's important to remember that there can be various club dues. There might be tips associated, other expenses with every little bit of activity that you do. And those are things that you need to budget for. Dining out can easily become a big part of your budget. We've lived in Las Vegas for a long time and have gone up and down on spending a lot of money dining out. There are some very amazing 5-star, very expensive restaurants on the Strip. There are some very expensive restaurants off the Strip. And if you dine out a lot, it's going to hit your budget hard. We rarely eat on the Strip anymore. We feel like it's like eating at the airport. It's got its own economy and there are other good restaurants all over Las Vegas. But when you put them on the Strip, you kind of have to add a zero to the bill at the end of your meal.

Travel expenses. Many retirees like to travel during their retirement years. It's one of the things people work all their lives for, to be able to get to travel more. Traveling is not cheap. There are people that I know that say if traveling was free, we'd never see them again. And it's something that you really have to think about when you're budgeting.

Inflation. Over time, the cost of everyday goods goes up. Dining, eating out, groceries, all of that stuff goes up over time. However, this inflation that we've been seeing lately has really been increasing the price of everything substantially. Just about everything I can think of has doubled since about 2018, 2019. That's inflation. We've had extreme inflation happening over the last few years. Even modest inflation can erode spending power over time. So it's something that you have to think about, budget for, and plan for.

Family support. Retirees often find themselves helping out adult family members with medical emergencies, various expenses, children, grandchildren. All of these things cost money. It's not uncommon for us to get a call that one of the kids needs something for one of the grandkids, and we usually step up. Most grandparents do. You have to budget for these unexpected expenses if helping out family members is important to you. This support can become a substantial ongoing cost if we are not careful.

Home modifications for aging in place. It's certainly something I never thought about when I was young, but even the cost of putting in a grab bar in the shower's not that cheap anymore. Stairlifts are not cheap. Elevators certainly aren't cheap. Putting in a ramp to get up a couple of steps to get in your front door, well, that's not gonna be incredibly cheap either. And making some modifications in the house due to our needs as our bodies age is something that is a fact for many of us.

Estate planning and legal fees. Setting up a trust or a will or a power of attorney, all of these are going to take legal fees. Yeah, there's some places where you can go in and get them done on your own with some legal forms. I wouldn't want to do that with anything substantial or valuable. I would want to see an estate planning attorney and get these things done correctly. If you haven't planned for this correctly, the probate costs, the legal fees, and all of this for your heirs can be very costly. It's not how I want to be remembered. Setting things up in a proper trust is very important. So if you need help, if you need a referral to a good estate planning attorney, I know several.

I highly recommend working with a financial planner, an estate planning attorney, and even a tax specialist if your financial planner's not already one. You want to be able to discuss these issues and anticipate potential problems before they happen. The more prepared you are, the more confident you'll be when making the transition into retirement.

Del Webb at Lake Las Vegas

At the $500,000 price point, you can actually get quite a bit in just about any of the older communities. There are plenty of homes for around $500,000 or even less. Some of those homes even have been remodeled. However, in other neighborhoods, you can actually get a brand new home for about $500,000. In fact, in Del Webb at Lake Las Vegas , I was just out there a couple of days ago, you can get the Canyon model for the base price of $432,000 . So if you add a lot premium and maybe a couple of things, you're going to be right at around $500,000.

The Canyon model's about 1,285 square feet , only has 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms , and a 2-car garage. There's not a 3rd bedroom option in the Canyon model. It's one of the smallest models out at Del Webb at Lake Las Vegas. Another great option for around $500,000 is the Pine Spring model . The Pine Spring model can be configured with 2 or 3 bedrooms, so you can take that 3rd bedroom and turn it into a den or an office. That's what I've seen done most commonly with that model. It's got 2 bathrooms and a 2-car garage. All kinds of options are available, but if you just add the lot premium and a couple of things, it's going to be around $500,000.

That's a really great entry point for a brand new home here in Las Vegas. You throw these homes in the resort community of Lake Las Vegas, and it's something that's very special. You'll have to go and check out Del Webb at Lake Las Vegas and see if that fits your personality and lifestyle. The Carson is 1,264 square feet . There are 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, so it's one of their smaller units. They have incentives on financing if you go through a builder, and typically if you qualify, there are really great incentives that'll help bring the cost down, your monthly costs down, when it comes to payments.

The amenities at Del Webb are fantastic, the clubhouse, the fitness center, the social activities , the views. It's a great place to live. If a $500,000 home in an over-55 community is something that is in your budget, I recommend checking out this neighborhood and seeing if it fits your personality and lifestyle. You're within walking distance to Seasons grocery store and all the little restaurants there at the lake . It would be a pretty cool place to live.

The Voyage Model: Luxury at Del Webb

Now we're jumping back to Del Webb at Lake Las Vegas. This is the Voyage model . This is their most expensive model. It comes with 3 bedrooms and it can have either 2.5 or 3 full bathrooms. It has a 2-car garage and over 2,700 square feet . The one that you see in the model home community, the Voyage that they have over in the model home community, it's got about $200,000 to $250,000 worth of upgrades . And then that view that it's sitting on, that lake view, that incredible view, well, that adds about $250,000 to it.

So this home could be had probably for just under $1.5 million . And with all the Del Webb bells and whistles, they do a great job. I've seen these homes after their design team has gotten through with them, and they're great. And you add that view lot premium with the view of the whole lake, it's something pretty special. And then you've got all the clubhouse and the amenities and all the social activities and the fitness center and all of that. I love the extra touches that the design team have done on that model home that they have there, the Voyage model. It's something to check out.

Regency at Summerlin

If you've got a million dollars to play with for your housing budget, you might want to consider one of these really great Toll Brothers homes over at Regency at Summerlin . There's one for sale right now at Regency for $975,000 and change. It's got 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms . These are Toll Brothers homes and they just have a different feel to them, a different builder. They've got the high ceilings , they've got the big sliders that go out to the back . In most cases, the yards are a bit bigger than we see over at Heritage or over at Del Webb . And so you just have to experience them.

It's in the southwest corner of the valley, Regency is, and it is guard-gated out there. And it's a great place to live. It's in Summerlin, close to shopping, about 12 minutes to downtown Summerlin, and about the same amount of minutes to get to the airport . So it's a very convenient location, something to check out for around a million bucks. This home at Regency in Summerlin is pretty interesting.

Now if your budget is $1.5 million, you may want the most expensive home that they have right now at Regency in Summerlin. It's a nice home out there. It's great. Again, one of those Toll Brothers homes. What's the difference in price? Well, this one has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, 2,278 square feet . So there's more bedrooms, more bathrooms, higher-end finishes. And in fact, this one has a 3-car tandem garage , stacked stone finishes on the outside and on the inside . It's a beautiful home, and it hits that $1.5 million price point. It's kind of at the top end over at Regency. It's Summerlin. These are really great homes, and I know people that really love that neighborhood over there.

Sun City Anthem

This is a great home for just under $1 million over in Anthem, in Henderson, Sun City Anthem . It's an older neighborhood, but this home is on the golf course and it has a swimming pool and it's just under $1 million . Now this isn't a small home, it's over 2,700 square feet . It has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms , so it's a nice size home and it's located on the Concord Golf Course . So this is a great golf course home. It's over in Sun City Anthem, and it may be the home for you at that million-dollar price point.

It's a great house. There's been some remodeling done. We'll have to check out how good of a remodel it is. If retiring in Anthem is the neighborhood for you and this is your budget, I'd want to take a look at it. This home has a fire pit and a barbecue area . It's located on the 4th green of the Concord course at the Revere Golf Course . It's the Monticello floor plan and it's a 3-car garage , so you're really getting quite a large home here for $1 million at Sun City Anthem. It may be exactly what you're looking for. It's not as small as what we see in some of the other neighborhoods.

Sun City Summerlin

Okay, now we're jumping over to Sun City Summerlin , and over on Shoalhaven, there's a home for sale right now just under $1.5 million . It's a beautiful home on the golf course again. Now this one's even larger, it's 2,819 square feet . It's got 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms . It's a large home for a quote-unquote downsizing type retirement home. But these larger models are available at many of the 55+ communities around town. They certainly are at Sienna, they are at Sun City Anthem, Sun City Summerlin, and a few larger homes over at Regency in Summerlin as well. So if you need a larger type retirement home instead of one that's on the small side that's under 2,000 square feet, these communities have larger homes for you.

This one is the Aristocrat model , and it's been completely remodeled with high-end finishes . There's an absolutely gorgeous kitchen with Wellborn cabinets with bottom pullouts , Thermador cooktop with star flames , Bosch appliances including a double oven , Avalon wine fridge , Mazzari tile and quartzite backsplash . It's just a beautiful remodel. And I think the pictures are lovely. I'd love to go out and see this in person and see what kind of job they did. It's always important to check out these remodels. I've seen some that were done incredibly well, better than the one I had done at my house, which I thought was pretty good. And then you see some remodels that are just complete garbage. And so you really have to check these out very carefully if you're buying a home that has been remodeled.

Shoreline at Lake Las Vegas (Blue Heron)

The next home we're looking at is not in an over-55 community at all. It's actually in the Shoreline neighborhood over at Lake Las Vegas . It's a Blue Heron home . Now, it's not a new home, but it's never been lived in , and it's under $1.5 million . It's 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms , it's 2 stories , it's got an elevator going up to the second floor , and the primary bedroom has a balcony that overlooks the lake , and it is just a stunning build, even though it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of their extra design services. You're also not paying for those. Those can add a significant amount of money on top of one of these Blue Heron homes.

So to get one that is under $1.5 million in a shoreline community there within walking distance of Seasons grocery store and all the little restaurants there at the lake , it would be a pretty cool place to live. And then the fact that it has elevators going up to the second floor, it's gonna save your knees. This would be a great home for somebody to retire in if that was in your budget and if you like Lake Las Vegas. So something to check out.

Which Las Vegas Retirement Community Is Right for You?

We've talked about a lot of expenses and we've seen a wide variety of homes at different price points here today. Your retirement here in Las Vegas really depends on your lifestyle and your budget. So how do you choose between these communities?

Choose Del Webb at Lake Las Vegas if you want a brand new home at an accessible price point in a resort community setting. The Canyon and Pine Spring models give you a solid entry into the best 55+ communities in Las Vegas for around $500,000, and you're within walking distance of Seasons grocery store and restaurants. If you want more space and lake views, the Voyage model gets you over 2,700 square feet and incredible vistas for just under $1.5 million. The clubhouse, fitness center, and social activities make this a great choice if you want an active lifestyle without breaking the bank.

Choose Regency at Summerlin if you want the distinct feel of a Toll Brothers home with high ceilings, big sliders, and bigger yards than you'll find at Heritage or Del Webb. The guard-gated community is convenient, 12 minutes to downtown Summerlin, 12 minutes to the airport, close to shopping. Homes here run from $975,000 for a 2-bedroom up to $1.5 million for a 3-bedroom with a 3-car tandem garage and stacked stone finishes inside and out.

Choose Sun City Anthem if you want a larger golf course home in Henderson. The home I showed you is just under $1 million, over 2,700 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3-car garage, on the 4th green of the Concord course at Revere Golf Course. It's an older neighborhood, so you'll want to carefully inspect any remodel quality, but you're getting a lot of house for the money. The Monticello floor plan includes a swimming pool, fire pit, and barbecue area.

Choose Sun City Summerlin if you want a larger retirement home on the golf course with high-end finishes. The home on Shoalhaven is just under $1.5 million, 2,819 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, Aristocrat model. The remodel is gorgeous, Wellborn cabinets, Thermador cooktop, Bosch appliances, Avalon wine fridge, Mazzari tile and quartzite backsplash. Again, inspect the remodel carefully. I've seen some done incredibly well and some that are just complete garbage.

Choose Shoreline at Lake Las Vegas (Blue Heron) if you want a home that's never been lived in, under $1.5 million, with an elevator and a primary bedroom balcony that overlooks the lake. This is not an over-55 community, so there's no age restriction. It's 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 stories. You're within walking distance of Seasons grocery store and all the little restaurants at the lake. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of extra design services, but you're also not paying for those.

Conclusion

Retiring in Las Vegas offers an amazing lifestyle, tax benefits, and a wide range of housing options to fit just about any budget. Whether you're looking at a brand new home in Del Webb at Lake Las Vegas for around $500,000, a Toll Brothers home at Regency at Summerlin for around $1 million, or a larger golf course home in Sun City Anthem or Sun City Summerlin for just under $1.5 million, there's something here for you.

The key is understanding your budget, planning for hidden costs, and choosing a community that fits your lifestyle. Nevada has no state income tax, and our property taxes are about 25% below the national average. That's a distinct advantage of living here. When you factor in the cost of living, $51,000 for a single person, just over $71,000 for a couple, and the fact that owning your home outright can free up $24,000 to $36,000 or more a year, you can see why so many people are moving to Las Vegas for retirement.

If you're not sure of how much home you can afford or what the true cost of retirement will be, feel free to reach out. I've been helping retirees find their perfect home for years, and I'd love to help you too. Whether you're moving from across town or across the country, I'm here for you. Call me anytime, day, night, or weekends, I'm experienced and ready to help make your transition to Las Vegas smooth and stress-free. My name is Micah Bleecher, and I'm always here to help you find the perfect place to call home.