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Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023 | 2 a.m.
• Last in a series
You probably could have guessed: Of the 100 largest cities in the United States, Las Vegas came in at No. 1 in a ranking of the best places for recreation, according to personal-finance website WalletHub.
After all, there’s plenty of options here — from catching a Golden Knights or Raiders game, to taking in a show on the Strip, or making the short drive for a hiking trip to gorgeous Red Rock Canyon.
WalletHub compared cities across 48 metrics that speak to the benefits of recreational activities. It examined basic living costs, quality of parks, accessibility of entertainment, recreational facilities and the weather.
It’s one of the many ranking lists Las Vegas has appeared in this year.
Some have been good: Las Vegas is one of the best cities in America for pickleball enthusiasts; and we are No. 34 among the most environmentally friendly cities in America.
And some are not so good. Nevada ranked as the third-worst state for bullying; an analysis found Las Vegas had 22.6 reports of credit card fraud per 10,000 residents to rank seventh nationally for cities with the highest rates of fraudulence.
The Sun accumulated many of the lists and has presented them this week.
Oct. 2: Las Vegas among best cities for foodies
Las Vegas was among the top 10 cities in America for foodies, according to an analysis by personal-finance website WalletHub.
With rising food prices, dining out or even cooking gourmet meals at homes can be pricey, the study noted.
“Fortunately, culinary hotspots across the U.S. offer plenty of affordable options for cash-strapped foodies,” the site said. “These wallet-friendly cities cater to diners to prefer to cook at home, explore the local flavors or both.”
To determine the best and cheapest foodie scenes, WalletHub compared 183 cities on factors such as the cost of groceries, affordability and accessibility of high-quality restaurants and the number of food festivals per capita.
Las Vegas was ranked No. 8, while Reno came in No. 46, Henderson No. 133 and North Las Vegas No. 163.
The best cities for foodies were Orlando, Fla., Portland, Ore., and Sacramento, Calif. The worst were Pearl City, Hawaii, Shreveport, La., and Nampa, Idaho.
Oct. 2: Nevada ranks lucky No. 13 on Halloween shopping list
Nevada ranked No. 13 among states where people shop the earliest for Halloween, according to a report by travel website Upgraded Points.
Americans were projected to spend more than $12 billion this year on Halloween. The largest spending categories are costumes, decorations, candy and greeting cards.
Nevadans tend to get out of the gate early when it comes to Halloween shopping. They do 32.1% of their online shopping from July to September, 57% in October and 9% the rest of the year.
The earliest Halloween shoppers can be found in West Virginia, Kentucky and Alaska. The last-minute shoppers are in Vermont, Delaware and New York, the study said.
Oct. 3: The best small cities in America
In a ranking of more than 1,300 small cities, Carson City and Sparks in Nevada came in about the middle of the pack.
Pahrump, meanwhile, was in the bottom 2% of small cities, ranking just ahead of places like Gary, Ind., and Camden, N.J.
Cities were grouped by percentile, with those in the 99th percentile representing the top 1% of small cities in America.
Sparks was in the 56th percentile, while Carson City was in the 48th percentile and Pahrump in the second percentile.
WalletHub, a personal-finance website, compared cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 on 45 key indicators of livability, ranging from housing costs to the quality of school systems and restaurants per capita.
The top small cities were Carmel, Ind., Lexington, Mass., and Brentwood, Tenn. Cities at the bottom of the list were Bessemer, Ala., Monroe, La., and Alexandria, La.
Oct. 4: America’s greenest cities
Las Vegas ranks No. 34 among the most environmentally friendly cities in America, according to personal-finance website WalletHub.
To determine the places promoting an environmentally friendly lifestyle, the site ranked the 100 largest U.S. cities across 28 key “green” indicators.
The data set ranged from greenhouse-gas emissions per capita to the number of smart-energy policies and initiatives to green job opportunities.
Reno came in just ahead of Las Vegas at No. 33.
The greenest cities were San Diego, Calif., Honolulu and Portland, Ore. The least environmentally friendly were all in Arizona — Gilbert, Glendale and Mesa.
Oct. 9: The safest cities in America
Police block off a crime scene on St Rose Parkway and Eastern Avenue in HendersonMonday, Sept. 26, 2022.
Henderson is the safest big city in Nevada and ranks No. 35 nationwide, according to a report by personal-finance website WalletHub.
Besides physical safety, the study also considered people’s sense of financial safety.
The site compared 182 cities across 41 key indicators of safety. The data set ranged from traffic fatalities and assaults per capita to the unemployment rate and the percentage of the population that is uninsured.
Other Nevada cities on the list were No. 66 North Las Vegas, No. 106 Reno and No. 155 Las Vegas.
The safest cities on the list were Nashua, N.H., Columbia, Md., and South Burlington, Vt. The least safe were St. Louis, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and San Bernardino, Calif.
Oct. 10: The best and worst cities for driving
Commuters might not have needed a formal study to convince them, but big cities in Nevada aren’t among the best for driving, according to a report by personal-finance website WalletHub.
Among Nevada cities, Las Vegas did the best in a ranking of the 100 largest cities in the U.S., coming in at No. 41. Reno came in No. 44, Henderson No. 51 and North Las Vegas No. 71.
The site compared the 100 biggest U.S. cities across 30 key indicators of driver friendliness. The data set ranged from average gas prices to annual hours in traffic congestion per commuter to auto repair shops per capita.
The most driver-friendly cities were Corpus Christi, Texas, Raleigh, N.C., and Boise, Idaho. The worst cities to drive in were Oakland, Calif., San Francisco and Detroit.
Oct. 11: Nevada among the worst states for bullying
Nevada is among the U.S. states with the worst bullying problems, according to a report by personal-finance website WalletHub.
The site measured the prevalence and prevention of bullying in 47 states and the District of Columbia. States were examined on 20 key metrics, ranging from the bullying-incident rate to truancy costs for schools to the share of high school students bullied online.
Due to data limitations, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington were excluded from the analysis, the site noted.
Nevada ranked No. 3 among states with the biggest bullying problems, just behind No. 2 Alaska and No. 1 California.
The states with the smallest bullying issues were Delaware, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the study said.
Oct. 17: The most and least energy-efficient states
Nevada ranked No. 17 among U.S. states for energy efficiency, according to a report by personal-finance website WalletHub.
The site measured the efficiency of auto- and home-energy consumption in 48 states. Due to data limitations, Alaska and Hawaii were excluded from the analysis.
Nevada ranked No. 15 for home-energy efficiency and No. 24 for auto-energy efficiency.
The most energy-efficient states were Utah, Massachusetts and Vermont. The least efficient were South Carolina, West Virginia and Alabama.
Oct. 18: States where employers are struggling the most in hiring
Nevada ranked No. 23 in a comparison of states where employers are having the most trouble hiring employees, according to an analysis by the personal-finance website WalletHub.
The site compared the 50 states and District of Columbia based on the rate of job openings for the latest month and the last 12 months.
Nevada had a job-opening rate of 6.20% in the latest month and 6.26% over the last 12 months.
The states struggling the most with hiring were Alaska, West Virginia and South Carolina. Those struggling the least were New York, New Jersey and the District of Columbia.
Oct. 24: Las Vegas one of the best places to celebrate Halloween
Las Vegas ranked No. 2 on a list of the best places to go for Halloween, according to a study by the personal-finance website WalletHub.
WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities based on 20 key metrics, ranging from costume stores per capita to the share of potential trick-or-treat stops.
Only New York topped Las Vegas in the standings, with Los Angeles coming in No. 3.
Reno came in No. 21, North Las Vegas No. 42 and Henderson No. 70.
The worst places to go for Halloween were Birmingham, Ala., Baton Rouge, La., and Memphis, Tenn.
Oct. 23: The best and worst cities for vampires
Nevada cities did not fare well in a comparison of the best states for vampires, largely sunk by their sunny weather — despised by nocturnal blood-suckers.
Las Vegas did the best among Nevada cities on the list compiled by lawn care website Lawn Love. It was No. 233 among the 500 biggest U.S. cities.
Other Nevada cities on the list were No. 322 Reno, No. 465 Henderson, No. 481 North Las Vegas and No. 491 Sparks.
The site said it looked for cities with plenty of warm bodies, blood centers and vampire-friendly dwellings — namely casket suppliers and homes with basements.
It also considered community and entertainment factors, such as vampire groups and tours, as well as deterrents like sunshine and garlic festivals, among 17 metrics.
The best cities for vampires were New York, Chicago and Columbus, Ohio. The worst were all in sunny Arizona: Buckeye, Peoria and Avondale.
Oct. 30: Best and worst places for military veterans to live
Henderson is among the best places for military veterans to settle down, coming in at No. 20 on a ranking of U.S. cities by WalletHub, a personal-finance website.
WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across 19 key indicators of livability, affordability and veteran friendliness. They ranged from the share of military skill-related jobs to veteran income growth to the availability of Veterans Affairs health facilities.
Las Vegas came in at No. 41, North Las Vegas at No. 73 and Reno at No. 84.
The best cities for veterans were Raleigh, N.C., Austin, Texas and Orlando, Fla. The worst were Detroit, Newark, N.J., and Memphis, Tenn.
Oct. 31: Best winter holiday destinations
Las Vegas topped the list of the best winter vacation destinations for warm-weather lovers.
The list, compiled by personal-finance website WalletHub, also ranked the best places for those who love cold weather.
The site ranked the cheapest destinations that are also the easiest to reach. It ranked nearly 70 of the largest metro areas — grouped as “warm” or “cold” —based on 37 metrics, including two weeks of flight data, safety indicators and weather predictions.
The list mainly focuses on cost and convenience. It also ensures the number of attractions and variety of activities in each place will keep people busy and entertained.
Coming in behind Las Vegas in the warm-weather category were San Diego, Calif., and Austin, Texas.
The best cold-weather destinations were Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Chicago.
Nov. 7: The best places to go for Thanksgiving
Las Vegas is one of the best places to celebrate Thanksgiving, according to the personal-finance website WalletHub.
Las Vegas came in No. 8 in a ranking of the 100 largest U.S. cities. Other Nevada cities on the list were No. 48 Reno and No. 67 Henderson and No. 89 North Las Vegas.
The site compared cities based on factors including the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner, the share of delayed flights, volunteer opportunities and the chances for rain or snow.
The best places for Thanksgiving were all in California: San Francisco, San Jose and San Diego. The worst places were Stockton, Calif., Hialeah, Fla., and Newark, N.J.
Nov. 14: Holiday budgets by city
Holiday sales this year are expected to grow between 3% and 4% from last year, setting a record of more than $957 billion, according to the personal-finance website WalletHub.
To help shoppers avoid “post-holiday regret,” the site calculated the maximum holiday budget for more than 550 U.S. cities. It used five key characteristics of the population, such as income, age and the ratio of savings to monthly expenses.
The city with the biggest budget was Palo Alto, Calif., at $3,596. The city with the tightest budget, coming in at No. 558 was Lauderhill, Fla., with a budget of just $495.
Nevada cities on the list included No. 266 Sparks at $1,170, No. 277 Henderson at $1,157, No. 312 North Las Vegas at $1,093, No. 332 Reno at $1,040, and No. 372 Las Vegas at $994.
Nov. 15: The most popular dog and cat names in Las Vegas
Go to the dog park and call out for Milo or Luna or Charlie, and a whole lot of pups might come running in your direction.
Rover, a website to find pet sitters and dog walkers, scoured its database of over 1 million pet owners to determine the most popular dog and cat names across the U.S., and specifically in Las Vegas.
The most popular names in Las Vegas for male dogs were Milo, Charlie, Max, Teddy and Rocky. The top female names were Luna, Bella, Coco, Lola and Daisy.
The most popular names in Las Vegas for male cats were Oliver, Loki, Smokey, Charlie and Max. The top female names were Luna, Kitty, Sage, Nala and Cleo.
Some trending pet names in Sin City were Liberace, up 197%; Sin, up 42; Bingo, up 41%; and Keno, up 19%.
Nov. 16: States with the highest and lowest credit scores
Nevada had an average credit score of 686, putting it below the average U.S. score and toward the bottom of a ranking of the 50 states.
Nevada came in No. 43 on the list compiled by personal-finance website WalletHub.
The site compared average credit scores of residents in each state as of October 2023, based on TransUnion data.
The average U.S. credit score was 696, just below the bottom of the good credit range of 700. A score of at least 750 is considered excellent, with a maximum possible of 850.
The states with the best scores were Minnesota at 725, New Hampshire at 722 and Vermont at 721.
The states with the lowest scores were Mississippi at 672, Louisiana at 676 and Alabama at 680.
Nov. 28: Las Vegas among America’s best college towns
Las Vegas is one of the best college towns in America, according to an analysis by personal-finance website WalletHub.
Las Vegas came in No. 6 in a ranking of 415 cities and towns nationwide.
WalletHub compared cities of varying sizes on 31 key indicators of academic, social and economic opportunities for students. The data set ranged from the cost of living and crime rate to the quality of higher education in the city.
Las Vegas scored particularly high on its social environment, coming in at No. 11.
Other Nevada cities on the list were No. 30 Reno, No. 34 Henderson and No. 276 North Las Vegas.
The best college towns were Austin, Texas, Ann Arbor, Mich., and Orlando, Fla. The worst were East Los Angeles, Calif., Germantown, Md., and New Rochelle, N.Y.
Dec. 3: Las Vegas ranks No. 1 for fun
When it comes to having a good time, nobody tops Las Vegas.
Known as the Entertainment Capital of the World, Las Vegas came out No. 1 in a ranking of the most fun cities in America, according to the personal-finance website WalletHub.
Las Vegas topped theme-park capital Orlando at No. 2 and sun and fun capital Miami at No. 3.
To help people find the cities with the most significant number and variety of fun yet cost-effective options, WalletHub said it compared 182 cities on 65 key metrics. They ranged from fitness centers per capita to movie costs to the average business hours of breweries.
Las Vegas crushed it in the general areas of entertainment and recreation, as well as nightlife and parties, coming in at No. 1.
When it came to cost factors, Sin City ranked a bit lower, coming in at No. 78.
The lowest ranked cities were Pearl City, Hawaii, South Burlington, Vt., and Oxnard, Calif.
Dec. 5: Las Vegas is singles city
Las Vegas is one of the best cities in America for singles, according to a study by personal-finance website WalletHub.
Las Vegas ranked No. 2, coming in just behind No. 1 Seattle and just ahead of No. 3 Denver.
The site compared 182 cities across 35 key indicators of dating-friendliness. The data set ranged from the share of the population that is single to the number of online dating opportunities to the average price for a two-person meal.
Las Vegas scored No. 1 in the general area of fun and recreation.
“For those who like to drink, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find out that Las Vegas has one of the lowest average beer prices in the U.S.,” the report said. “One good date idea is a trip to the theater — the price of two tickets is among the lowest in the nation.”
The study deemed the worst cities for singles as Columbia, Md., Warwick, R.I., and Brownsville, Texas.
Dec. 5: Nevada one of the toughest states to save money
Nevada is the second-hardest state in America to save money, according to an analysis by Moneywise, a financial news and advice website.
Personal-finance experts analyzed seven measures related to financial astuteness and scored each state on a 100-point index.
The factors incorporated in the index included average consumption as a percentage of personal income, household debt-to-income ratio, rate of homeownership, unemployment rates, personal bankruptcy rates, unbanked rates and average monthly Google searches for terms related to savings and investments.
Nevada had the second-lowest index score of 36.36, just ahead of last-place Mississippi at 35.72 and just behind Tennessee at 37.34.
The states where it was easiest to save money were Vermont with a top index of 74.07, Maine at 73.58 and Delaware at 72.19.
Dec. 6: Nevada among the worst states for identity theft, fraud
Nevada came in No. 4 among the worst states for identity theft and fraud, according to an analysis by personal-finance website WalletHub.
The site compared the 50 states and District of Columbia across 14 metrics. The data set ranged from identity theft complaints per capita to the average loss due to fraud.
The places that fared the worst were Washington, D.C., Delaware and Florida. Those with the least problems were Kansas, Rhode Island and Iowa.
Dec. 8: Cities with the least sustainable credit card debt
North Las Vegas and Reno were among the cities with the least sustainable credit card debt, and Las Vegas wasn’t far behind, according to an analysis by personal-finance website WalletHub.
WalletHub said it used TransUnion credit data to calculate the cost and time required to pay off the median card balances in more than 180 U.S. cities.
Reno came in at No. 7 on the list, with an average payoff time of 84 months, 23 days. North Las Vegas was No. 8 at 84 months, 20 days.
Las Vegas came in No. 26 at 73 months, 26 days, and Henderson was No. 47 at 66 months, three days, the study found.
The city with the least sustainable credit card debt was Miami, with an average payoff time of 110 months, 30 days.
The city with the most sustainable debt, ranked No. 182, was Fremont, Calif., at just 17 months, 20 days.
Dec. 11: The most caring cities in America
The most caring city in Nevada was Reno, according to a ranking by personal-finance website WalletHub of the 100 largest cities in America.
The site said it compared cities across 38 key indicators of “a compassionate spirit.” The data set ranged from the share of sheltered homeless people to the volunteering hours per capita to the share of income donated to charity.
Reno ranked No. 49. Other Nevada cities on the list were No. 55 Henderson, No. 70 Las Vegas and No. 81 North Las Vegas.
The most caring cities were Madison, Wis., Boston and Virginia Beach, Va.
The cities at the bottom of the list were Birmingham, Ala., Tulsa, Okla., and Memphis, Tenn.
Dec. 12: Las Vegas among best cities to mark New Year’s Eve
Revelers pose for a photo during the New Years Eve party on the Fremont Street Experience Saturday December 31, 2022.
Las Vegas is one of the best places to ring in the new year, according to a study by personal-finance website WalletHub.
WalletHub said it ranked the 100 biggest U.S. cities based on 26 indicators of “an epic New Year’s Eve celebration.”
The data set ranged from the legality of fireworks and nightlife option per capita to food affordability and forecasted precipitation on Dec. 31.
Las Vegas came in No. 4 on the list, behind Orlando, Fla., San Diego, Calif., and New York.
Other Nevada cities on the list were No. 28 Reno, No. 65 Henderson and No. 100 North Las Vegas.
Dec. 13: States with the best elder-abuse protections
Nevada ranks lower among the states with the best protections against elder abuse, according to an analysis by personal-finance website WalletHub.
The site compared the 50 states and District of Columbia on 16 indicators of elder abuse protection in three overall categories.
The data set ranged from the share of elder abuse, gross neglect and exploitation complaints to financial elder-abuse laws.
Nevada ranked 43 on the list.
The states with the best protections were Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Ohio. The states at the bottom of the list were California, Utah and Montana.
Dec. 13: Boulder City among most Instagrammed desert cities
Boulder City ranked No. 9 on a list of the top 10 most instagrammed U.S. desert cities in 2023, according to an analysis by Betway, a sports betting website.
Boulder City racked up 161,877 Instagram posts, according to the site. The No. 1 city was Joshua Tree, Calif., with 2.2 million posts.
Dec. 15: Henderson one of the most ‘Christmassy’ towns in U.S.
Henderson ranked No. 62 on a list of the most ‘Christmassy’ towns in the United States, based on a survey by photo book brand Mixbook.
The survey noted that Henderson, the only Nevada town to make the list, offers “a more relaxed and family friendly holiday atmosphere.”
“The town comes alive during Christmas with spectacular light displays, particularly at the Ethel M Chocolate Factory’s Cactus Garden, where cacti and desert plants are illuminated with over a million twinkling lights, creating a unique and dazzling spectacle. Henderson’s WinterFest is another highlight, featuring a variety of festive activities like tree lighting ceremonies, parades, and performances that cater to all ages,” the company said.
The top three most Christmassy towns were Pigeon Forge, Tenn., Durango, Colo., and Lake Placid, N.Y.
Dec. 18: The neediest cities in America
Two Nevada cities — Las Vegas and North Las Vegas — ranked among the top 50 neediest in America, according to an analysis by personal-finance website WalletHub.
The site compared more than 180 U.S. cities based on 28 key economic indicators of economic disadvantage, such as child poverty, food insecurity and uninsured rates.
Las Vegas ranked No. 31 and North Las Vegas came in at No. 50. Other Nevada cities on the list were No. 81 Reno and No. 130 Henderson.
The neediest cities were Detroit, Brownsville, Texas, and Fresno, California. The least needy were Overland Park, Kan., Pearl City, Hawaii, and Bismarck, N.D.
Dec. 20: The best cities for Christmas
Las Vegas is one of the most festive and affordable cities to celebrate Christmas, according to a study by personal-finance website WalletHub.
The site compared the 100 largest cities in the U.S. based on 28 key indicators, such as traditions, shopping and costs.
Las Vegas came in No. 4 on the list overall, scoring No. 1 for shopping and No. 3 for traditions and fun.
Other Nevada cities on the list were No. 43 Reno, No. 95 Henderson and No. 99. North Las Vegas.
The top three cities were Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Pa., and Orlando, Fla.
The cities at the bottom of the list, besides North Las Vegas, were No. 100 Hialeah, Fla., and No. 98 San Bernardino, Calif.
