UFC flyweight champion Alexander Pantoja, top, punches Brandon Royval during UFC 296 at T-Mobile Arena Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, in Las Vegas. Pantoja retained his title by unanimous decision.
Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023 | 2 a.m.
• First 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 will present them this week, in chronological order, over four days.
Jan. 3: Ferraro’s recognized for wine list
Ferraro’s Ristorante on Paradise Road was awarded the highest rating for its wine list by the Italian publication, Gambero Rosso.
Gambero Rosso gave the Las Vegas restaurant “Three Bottles,” citing its comprehensive Italian selection of wines.
Ferraro’s Ristorante was one of four establishments in the U.S. and 20 worldwide to receive this distinction.
Jan. 6: Vegas ranks high for pre-marriage bashes
Price4Limo, in a survey of more than 1,000 people about their bachelor and bachelorette party experiences, found Las Vegas ranks as the seventh top location to host the farewell to single life.
New York was the top pick, followed by Chicago, Charleston, S.C., Key West, Fla., Lake Tahoe and Austin, Texas.
The survey also found 77% of respondents dipped into their savings for a bachelor or bachelorette party.
Jan. 10: Nevada loves UFC
Nevada tops the lists of states interested in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, according to research from MiddleEasy using Google search engine data.
The research found that 4.8% of Nevadans searched for UFC or UFC-related terms. Hawaii at 4.2% of the population and California at 3.7% followed.
Jan. 11: Which languages do Nevadans want to learn?
The foreign languages Nevadans are most interested in learning are Spanish, Korean and Japanese, according to a group that creates guides for the correct approach to writing.
On a national level, people were most interested in learning the same three languages, in the same order, according to writingtips.org.
Results were derived by analyzing the number of average monthly Google searches in each state for learning a language, including phrases such as “how to learn X,” “learn X” and “X classes near me,” the group noted.
The search volume for each phrase combined with the language were added to discover the total average monthly searches in each state, the group said.
Jan. 12: Nevada lucrative for those without degrees
Nevada is one of the best states for people to earn a good living without a college degree, according to a report from Smartest Dollar.
The report found Nevada had the 13th-smallest wage gap in the U.S. between people with high school and college degrees.
College graduates working full time earned a median annual wage of $68,000, while high school graduates earned $42,000, a gap of 61.9%.
The average U.S. wage gap was 95% — with college graduates earning a median wage of $78,000 and high school grads $40,000.
The state with the highest gap was California at 113.3% and the lowest was Wyoming at 31.3%.
Among 53 large metro areas, the Las Vegas-Henderson area had the sixth-smallest wage gap at 65%.
College graduates in the area earned a median annual wage of $60,000 versus $40,000 for high school graduates.
Jan. 16: Motorists spent 51 hours stuck in traffic
Getting stuck in traffic can cause tempers to flare and be financially draining, costing the average U.S. driver $869 in wasted time in 2022, according to the personal finance website WalletHub.
Motorists spent an average of 51 hours stuck in traffic, according to a study that found Nevada the seventh-worst state for driving.
To compare the driving experience in all 50 states, WalletHub considered 31 key indicators of a positive commute, from rush-hour traffic congestion to gas prices to road quality.
Nevada ranked No. 44 on the list. The best state for driving was Iowa and the worst was Hawaii.
Jan. 16: Nevadans itching to travel
With the relaxation of international travel restrictions, many Americans are gearing up to fuel their wanderlust by leaving America the beautiful behind and venturing to destinations outside the U.S. borders. And researchers are finding residents in some states are more eager to see other parts of the world than others.
According to a forecast by Economic Intelligence, global tourism will increase by 30% in 2023 compared with 2022. Additional research conducted by emigration experts analyzed Google search data to determine the number of searches for a passport application in each U.S. state per 1,000 people.
Residents in Nevada are the third-most anxious to leave the U.S. The term “passport application” receives 266.9 monthly searches per 100,000 people living in the state.
Housing “Sin City,” with more than 32 million tourist visitors per year, Nevada residents are looking to get away and potentially escape the hustle and bustle.
Jan, 18: Las Vegas and STEM jobs
Las Vegas ranked No. 69 among the top 100 U.S. metro areas for professionals in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math, according to the personal finance website WalletHub.
The site used 21 metrics to compare the metros to find the best and worst for STEM jobs. Seattle came out at the top of the list and Jackson, Miss., was at the bottom.
WalletHub cited a Bureau of Labor Statistics analysis that found STEM professions were expected to grow 10.8% between 2021 and 2031, compared with 4.9% for all other occupations.
The median annual STEM wage was $95,420, compared with $40,120 for all non-STEM occupations, according to the report.
Jan. 18: Las Vegas hotspot for Chinese New Year
Las Vegas ranked No. 7 among the 200 largest U.S. cities for best celebrating the 2023 Lunar New Year, commonly known as Chinese New Year.
The list, compiled by lawn care company Lawn Love, compared cities in four categories and 11 metrics, such as Asian American population, festivals and events, fireworks legality and safety.
New York ranked No. 1, while the worst city to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit was West Valley City, Utah.
Jan. 24: Las Vegas ranks low for the mechanically inclined
Las Vegas employed the eighth-fewest mechanically inclined workers among large U.S. metro areas in 2023, according to Construction Coverage, which provides expert product reviews and guides for the construction industry.
The report found 17.6% of workers in the Las Vegas metro area had occupations requiring a mechanical inclination.
The U.S. average for the share of mechanically inclined workers was 21.5%. Among large metro areas, the Grand Rapids-Kentwood, Mich., area had the largest share of mechanically inclined workers at 30.2%, according to Construction Coverage.
Jan. 30: Nevadans spend big on child care
Families in Nevada on average spend the highest percentage of their income — 27.8% — on child care, according to a report by Lending Tree, an online lending marketplace.
Families in Nevada spend an average of $419 a week on child care, the highest in the country, according to the report, which was based on the U.S. Census Bureau data.
As a percentage of family income spent on child care, the next highest states were Montana at 26.2% and New Mexico at 22%, the report found.
The national average was 17.8%, the report said.
Jan. 31: Where does Vegas rank for getting hitched?
Las Vegas ranked as the second-most wedding-friendly destination, according to personal finance website WalletHub.
It compared 180 cities using 26 indicators of cost-effectiveness, convenience and enjoyment, including looking at venue and event space, bridal shops, musicians and photographers per capita.
Orlando, Fla., ranked first; Tulsa, Okla., was third, followed by Tampa, Fla., and Atlanta. Reno ranked No. 43.
Feb. 6: How rabid are Las Vegas football fans?
Las Vegas Raiders fans cheer during the second half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings at Allegiant Stadium Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023.
Las Vegas ranked No. 20 among more than 240 U.S. cities for football fans, according to personal finance website WalletHub.
To determine the best places for loving America’s favorite sport, WalletHub compared U.S. cities with at least one college or professional football team based on 21 key metrics.
The data set ranges from the number of NFL and college football teams to stadium capacity to fan engagement.
The best city for football fans, according to the WalletHub study, was Pittsburgh, while the worst, coming in at No. 249, was Valparaiso, Ind.
Feb. 6: Vegas a great city to find a slice
Looking for a great place for a great slice of pizza? Look no further. Las Vegas ranked No. 5 on a list of the best cities for pizza lovers.
LawnStarter, an online lawn care booking platform, compared the 200 largest U.S. cities in five categories for pizza: access, quality, accolades, popularity and affordability.
New York City steamrolled the competition, coming in at No. 1 with an overall score of 79.87, more than 40 points ahead of second-place San Francisco.
The worst city for pizza lovers was Hayward, Calif., at No. 200.
Feb. 7: Vegas among top places to celebrate Valentine’s Day
Las Vegas was ranked among the top places in the U.S. for celebrating Valentine’s Day, according to the personal finance website WalletHub.
Las Vegas came in No. 4 in a comparison of the nation’s 100 largest cities to determine the most romantic yet affordable places to celebrate on Feb. 14.
The site considered 26 key metrics, from florists per capita to the weather to the cost of a three-course meal for two.
San Francisco topped the list, while Detroit came in at No. 100.
Feb. 13: Nevada among America’s most uneducated states
Nevada ranks among America’s most uneducated states, according to a survey from the personal finance website WalletHub.
Nevada tied with Kentucky at No. 43 among a listing of the most-educated states.
WalletHub said it compared all 50 states across 18 metrics that examined educational attainment, school quality and achievement gaps between genders and races.
The most educated state was Massachusetts, while West Virginia came in last.
Feb. 14: Surprise! Las Vegas is the most sinful state
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Nevada — home to Las Vegas, aka Sin City — was ranked the most sinful state in the U.S.
A survey by personal-finance website WalletHub ranked Nevada just ahead of runners-up California and Louisiana.
States were based on seven sinful behaviors: Anger and hatred, jealousy, excess and vices, greed, lust, vanity and laziness. Nevada ranked No. 1 in greed and laziness.
The least sinful state, according to WalletHub, was Wyoming.
Feb. 16: The best places to celebrate Mardi Gras
No big surprise that New Orleans easily topped a list of the best Mardi Gras cities in the U.S. But Las Vegas ranked No. 3, just behind runner-up New York City, according to a survey by lawn care website Lawn Love.
The survey compared the 200 largest cities on eight metrics, including number of Mardi Gras events, Cajun food vendors, costume stores and community interest.
The least ideal city, according to the survey,for Mardi Gras was Kansas City, Kan.
Feb. 20: How hard-working are Las Vegans?
Maybe Las Vegans just work smarter, but in a ranking of the hardest-working cities in the U.S., Sin City came in near the bottom.
WalletHub, a personal finance website, compared the 116 largest cities in the country across 11 metrics, from employment rate to average weekly work hours to the share of workers with multiple jobs.
Las Vegas ranked No. 105, just behind North Las Vegas.
The hardest-working city was San Francisco, while Burlington, Vt., came in last.
Feb. 27: How does Nevada rank for opportunities for women?
Nevada ranked No. 34 on a list of the best states for opportunities for women, with Vermont, New York and Massachusetts taking the top three spots.
The personal finance website WalletHub used 25 metrics, from median earnings for female workers to the female homicide rate, to compare all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Nevada scored 50.55 on a 100-point scale, while top-rated Vermont scored 75.68. Oklahoma landed at the bottom of the list with a score of 32.62.
Feb. 28: Hey, Vegas, cheer up
Cheer up, Las Vegas. It could be worse. You could be Detroit.
In a ranking of the 182 happiest cities in America, Las Vegas came in at a depressingly low No. 139, according to the personal finance website WalletHub.
The site examined each city based on 30 key indicators of happiness, from the rate of depression to income-growth rate to average leisure time spent per day.
If you’re looking for your happy place, search no further than No. 1 Fremont, Calif., in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ranking the least happy of large U.S. cities was No. 182 Detroit.
March 6: Watch out for credit card fraud
An analysis from Upgraded Points found that Las Vegas had 22.6 reports of credit card fraud per 10,000 residents in 2022 to rank seventh nationally for cities with the highest rates of fraudulence.
Fraud occurs mostly in two forms: account takeover and application fraud.
Account takeover takes place when someone obtains personal information to gain access to a card. Application fraud happens when someone attempts to open a credit account in someone else’s name.
Miami ranks first with 51.4 reports per 10,000 residents — nearly four times the national rate of 13.5. It is followed by Atlanta (33.1), Orlando, Fla. (31.4), and Houston (26.2).
March 7: The not-so-great outdoors
When it comes to the best states for camping, Nevada’s tent is pitched near the bottom of the list.
The Silver State came in No. 47 in Lawn Love’s rankings, which took into account 25 metrics, including campsite access, trails, safety, supplies, camper satisfaction and affordability.
The lawn care and maintenance website ranked California as the best state for campers and North Dakota as the worst.
March 7: Sorry, Las Vegas basketball fans
In a ranking with which UNLV fans are sure to take issue, Las Vegas came in No. 225 out of 295 cities rated as the best cities for college basketball fans.
Rival UNR fared not much better, coming in at No. 212.
WalletHub, a personal finance website, used nine key metrics to determine its list. They included number of teams per city, team winning percentage, stadium capacity and social media engagement.
The No. 1 city was Durham, N.C., followed closely by Lawrence, Kan. At the bottom of the list was New Britain, Conn.
March 8: Great places to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day
Bagpipers with the Las Vegas Emerald Society perform during the annual St. Patrick's Day festivities at New York-New York Friday, March 17, 2023.
Henderson ranked No. 11 and Las Vegas was No. 26 on a list of the 200 best cities to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
The personal finance website WalletHub compared 200 of the largest U.S. cities across 15 metrics, from Irish pubs and restaurants per capita to the lowest price for a three-star hotel on St. Patrick’s Day to the weather forecast.
The top city for celebrating the day was Boston, with Miramar, Fla., at the bottom of the list.
March 8: UNLV ranks high for veterans
UNLV was rated as a top-10 university for veterans nationally, according to Military Friendly. The ranking compares hundreds of schools and their commitment to service members.
UNLV was rated against more than 600 research institutions, and finished in the top 10 for the second time in three years, the university said.
Scholarships, academic quality, outcomes, financial aid and student support opportunities were evaluated to compile the list, UNLV officials said.
There were 1,665 military-affiliated students attending classes at UNLV.
March 10: Where Nevada stands for opening a business
Nevada ranked middle of the pack — No. 26 — on a list of the best states to open a business, according to a survey from online lending marketplace Lendio.
The ranking was based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau and Small Business Administration.
Factors considered included tax rates, startup survival rates, the cost of living, educated worker migration, loans, funding, consumer spending and incentive programs.
Key findings in Nevada included: 48.7% of small businesses survived five years; there were 17 incentive programs; corporate tax rates were 0%; and companies received $7.05 million in loans per 100,000 residents.
The best states to start a small business in 2023 were Texas, Florida and Ohio. The worst were Hawaii, Maine and New Hampshire.
March 13: Las Vegas and obesity
In a ranking of the most overweight and obese metro areas in the United States, Las Vegas weighed in at No. 65.
The personal finance website WalletHub compared 100 of the largest metro areas across 19 key indicators. The data set ranged from the share of physically inactive adults to projected obesity rates by 2030 to access to healthy food.
The most overweight and obese places were McAllen, Texas; Memphis, Tenn.; and Mobile, Ala. The fittest were Denver, Seattle and Boston.
March 20: Best states for doctors
Is there a doctor in the house? WalletHub, a personal finance website, took a look at the best states for doctors.
It compared the 50 states and District of Columbia across 19 key metrics. The data set ranged from average annual wage to hospitals per capita to the quality of the public hospital system.
Nevada came in at No. 17. The top state for doctors was Montana, while Hawaii ranked last.
March 20: Nevadans lean heavily on credit cards
Nevada ranked among the top states where residents turned to credit cards to make ends meet among rising prices, according to a study based on Census Bureau data.
Nevada ranked No. 4 among states in the share of adults who increased their use of credit cards due to price hikes, according to the study by travel website Upgraded Points.
Nevada saw a 24.4% spike in credit card use, compared with the national average of 20.9%.
Researchers used census data collected in early January, ranking states by the share of adults who increased their use of credit cards, loans or pawnshops to cope with price increases.
Maine saw the largest jump in credit card usage at 24.6%, while Wisconsin had the smallest increase at 16.3%.
March 22: Nevada and property taxes
Nevada had the eighth-lowest effective property tax rate for owner-occupied homes, according to a study by Construction Coverage.
Nevada had an effective rate of 0.5%, with an average tax bill of $1,807. The U.S. average was 1%, with a median tax bill of $2,795.
The effective tax rate was determined by dividing the aggregate real estate taxes paid by the aggregate value of housing units in 2021.
March 22: A brunch-lovers paradise
If you love brunch, you’ve got to love Las Vegas.
Vegas ranked No. 7 on a list of the best cities for brunch lovers.
The list, compiled by lawn care website LawnStarter, compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities by metrics including brunch deals, brunch clubs and brunch vendor quality.
New York topped the list, while Paterson, N.J., came in last.
March 22: Nevada ranks No. 34 for innovation
The United States ranks second on the Global Innovation Index, but some states deserve more credit than others for the dominance of the U.S. during the tech era, according to personal finance website WalletHub.
Nevada ranked No. 34 in a ranking of the most innovative states.
WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 22 indicators of innovation friendliness — from the share of science, technology, engineering and math professionals, to research and development spending per capita, to tech-company density.
The most tech-friendly place was the District of Columbia, followed by Massachusetts and Washington. The least innovative state was Mississippi.
March 27: Hey, Nevada, relax a little
Nevada is one of the most stressed-out states, according to a survey by personal finance website WalletHub.
Nevada ranked No. 5 on the list, which compared the states on 41 metrics, ranging from average hours worked per week to personal bankruptcy rates to the share of adults getting adequate sleep. Nevada ranked especially high — No. 2 — in family-related stress.
The most stressed state was Mississippi, while the least stressed was Minnesota.
March 29: Best places for outdoor weddings
Las Vegas was ranked No. 13 among the best cities for outdoor weddings, while North Las Vegas came in No. 199 in the ranking of 200 U.S. cities.
The landscaping website Lawn Love compared the cities based on eight categories and 36 metrics, including quality of outdoor wedding venues, access to wedding planners and sunshine.
The best city for outdoor weddings was Charleston, S.C., while the worst was West Valley City, Utah.
