Published July 17, 2026
Are Las Vegas and Henderson Good Cities for First-Time Home Buyers?
If you’re planning your first home purchase in the valley, a new ranking gives some useful context. Per KLAS 8 News Now, WalletHub compared 300 U.S. cities across 22 factors — market attractiveness, affordability, and quality of life — to find the best places for first-time buyers in 2026. Las Vegas and Henderson both cracked the top 30 overall and the top 6 among large cities specifically. For the broader picture of what’s driving demand here, see our Las Vegas Valley real estate market guide and our look at the Las Vegas housing shortage.
How did Las Vegas and Henderson rank?
According to the WalletHub study as reported by KLAS, Las Vegas came in at No. 26 overall out of 300 cities, and No. 5 among large cities. Henderson ranked No. 28 overall and No. 6 among large cities. For context, the study’s top five overall were Palm Bay, Florida; Surprise, Arizona; Gilbert, Arizona; Tampa, Florida; and Yuma, Arizona — none of them are peer-sized major metros, which is part of why the large-city rankings matter more for a comparison like this.
What about North Las Vegas and Reno?
The same study placed North Las Vegas at No. 49 nationally and Reno at No. 51, per KLAS’s reporting — both notably behind Las Vegas and Henderson’s top-30 finishes. The report also noted Reno has one of the lowest total home-energy costs in the study, which is a reminder that a single ranking can hide a lot of factor-by-factor variation. That’s true valley-wide too: North Las Vegas, Henderson, and the city of Las Vegas each have their own price points and inventory, something we cover in our guide to choosing a Las Vegas neighborhood.
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Book your free sessionWhy does Las Vegas rank well overall but weaker on affordability?
The KLAS report broke Las Vegas’s score into several sub-rankings: No. 23 in real estate tax rate, No. 49 in total home energy cost, No. 52 in median home price appreciation, No. 72 in cost of living, and No. 136 in housing affordability out of 300 cities. Put together, that’s a city that does well on taxes, energy costs, and overall cost of living, but is more middle-of-the-pack on the pure dollars-and-cents affordability of buying a home right now. That’s consistent with what we’ve been seeing in the broader market — see our June price update for the current median context. Nevada’s lack of a state income tax and comparatively low effective property tax rate (near 0.48% of home value) likely help explain the strong tax-related sub-rank.
Why is first-time buying down nationally?
Per NAR Realtor News data cited in the KLAS report, first-time buyers made up only 21% of the market nationally in 2025 — a little more than half the historical average of roughly 40%. WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo was quoted saying that buying a first home is especially stressful when prices are high and rates have risen sharply in recent years, and that the best cities for first-time buyers combine affordability with housing choices, low crime, and good schools. That’s the backdrop this ranking is trying to address, and it’s a big part of why a metro that scores reasonably well across several factors — even without being the cheapest — stands out.
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What should a first-time buyer take from this ranking?
A top-30 national ranking is a good sign, but it’s a valley-wide average, not a guarantee for any specific budget or neighborhood. The sub-rankings above are the more useful part: strong tax and cost-of-living scores mean your ongoing costs after closing can be more manageable here than in many markets, even though the up-front affordability score is more middling. A local agent can help you weigh those trade-offs against a specific list of communities and price points.
How does this compare to buying versus renting here?
A strong first-time-buyer ranking is only half the picture — the other half is whether buying makes sense for your situation right now versus renting a little longer. Our buy-versus-rent breakdown walks through that math, and our mortgage-interest guide shows how much of an early payment goes toward interest at today’s rates, which matters more for a first purchase than for a move-up buyer.
The bottom line on this ranking
A new WalletHub study, as reported by KLAS 8 News Now, puts Las Vegas and Henderson in the top 6 among large U.S. cities for first-time home buyers, with North Las Vegas and Reno ranking further down the list. The valley’s appeal in this study comes less from rock-bottom prices and more from a combination of low taxes, manageable ongoing costs, and overall livability. If you’re a first-time buyer trying to decide whether now is the right time, that combination is worth weighing alongside your own budget and the specific neighborhoods you’re considering.
Frequently asked questions
Are Las Vegas and Henderson good cities for first-time home buyers?
According to a WalletHub study cited by KLAS 8 News Now, both rank in the top 30 nationally out of 300 cities, and in the top 6 among large cities specifically: Las Vegas is No. 26 overall (No. 5 among large cities) and Henderson is No. 28 overall (No. 6 among large cities). The study weighed 22 factors including affordability, housing choices, crime, and schools.
What does WalletHub's study actually measure?
Per the KLAS report, WalletHub compared 300 U.S. cities on 22 factors across market attractiveness, affordability, and quality of life — things like cost of living, real estate tax rates, and crime rate. It's a first-time-buyer-focused ranking, not a general best-places-to-live list.
Where does Las Vegas rank on specific factors like taxes and affordability?
The KLAS report broke out several Las Vegas sub-rankings: No. 23 in real estate tax rate, No. 49 in total home energy cost, No. 52 in median home price appreciation, No. 72 in cost of living, and No. 136 in housing affordability. The strong overall rank alongside a weaker affordability sub-rank shows the city does well on several factors at once, not just price.
What about North Las Vegas and Reno?
North Las Vegas came in at No. 49 nationally, and Reno at No. 51, with the study noting Reno has one of the lowest total home-energy costs. Compared to Las Vegas and Henderson's top-30 finishes, both rank further down the list but still land in the study's broader pool of 300 cities.
Why are fewer people buying their first home right now?
Nationally, per NAR Realtor News data cited in the KLAS report, first-time buyers made up only 21% of the market in 2025 — a little more than half the historical average of about 40%. High prices and elevated interest rates over the past few years are the commonly cited reasons, which is part of why a ranking like this focuses specifically on first-time-buyer affordability rather than the overall market.
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About Alexandra Malenkina
Alexandra Malenkina is the Broker/Owner of Nevada Realty Experts, a bilingual English/Russian brokerage serving the Las Vegas Valley. With 15+ years of experience and 300+ transactions, she ranks among the top 5% of 16,000+ Las Vegas agents and has 50+ five-star Google reviews and 74+ Zillow reviews. Nevada Real Estate License B.1001643.
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Equal Housing Opportunity. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. Market conditions change; consult a licensed real estate professional for figures specific to your situation. All real estate information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
