City Population Trends Upward

Population in the city of Las Vegas continues to expand as residents migrate in from around the country, including our neighbors from California. Las Vegas remained Nevada’s largest incorporated city after adding 5,500 residents in 2022, bringing its total population to 656,300, according to the recent population figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The overall southern Nevada region, which includes the city, other incorporated areas like Henderson and North Las Vegas, and unincorporated portions of Clark County, witnessed its population increase to approximately 2.3 million.

The city’s population growth rate of 0.8 percent in 2022 expanded on the 0.6 percent rate reported in 2021, continuing the upward trend. While the growth rates of the past two years trended positively, they remained a fraction

of the pre-pandemic trends when rates averaged 1.4 percent. However, the post-pandemic slowing of population growth was not unique to the city of Las Vegas, as 35 of the 50 largest incorporated U.S. cities registered growth rates that trailed 2019 levels. As a result, the city’s 2022 growth rate ranked as the 13^th fastest among those cities, a ranking that was in line with the pre-pandemic trend.

The city’s recent population gains among the 50 largest cities have pushed it higher in the population rankings. In 2022, the city of Las Vegas ranked as the 24^th largest incorporated city in the nation, three spots higher than in 2019. Over the past decade, the city moved up seven positions, surpassing cities such as Boston, Portland and Memphis along the way.

The city’s growth has contributed to population gains for Southern Nevada as a whole. Like the city of Las Vegas, Southern Nevada’s population has returned to a growth trajectory after slowing during the pandemic, though it hasn’t reached those earlier peaks. The Las Vegas metropolitan area population grew by 1.2 percent in 2022, ranking 13^th among the nation’s 30 largest metro areas. That marked a significant recovery from 42^nd place in 2020 when population reportedly shrank by 0.1 percent, but it trailed the 2.1 percent growth rates in 2018 and 2019 that ranked third among large metro areas.

As it has for decades, Southern Nevada’s growth has been driven by new residents moving in from elsewhere. A recent United Van Lines’ National Movers Study found that people relocating to Nevada cited family (31 percent), job opportunities (25.6 percent) and retirement (24.8 percent) as their primary reasons.

On the employment front, southern Nevada was the hardest hit by the pandemic, but its recovery has been unrivaled. Among the top 30 largest metropolitan areas, southern Nevada has ranked among the top three in year-over-year employment growth rate for 28 straight months, with 17 months in the number one spot, cementing the region as an attractive location for those seeking job opportunities.

Keeping in line with historical trends, California remained the top origin for new southern Nevada residents. The Golden State accounted for about 35 percent of people exchanging out-of-state driver’s licenses for local licenses in Clark County over the past year, followed by Florida and Texas. Southern Nevada’s proximity and relative housing affordability combine to make the region an attractive destination for relocating Californians.

While southern Nevada’s housing affordability has declined over the past year, the region remained relatively affordable for movers from California, according to a recent study by real estate listing website Redfin. The study noted that Southern Nevada’s median home price was less than half the cost of homes in Los Angeles. The Housing Affordability Index by the National Association of Realtors illustrates how southern Nevada remains more affordable. In 2022, the affordability index in southern Nevada fell about a third to 75.6, but that was still more affordable than San Francisco (47.4), Los Angeles (43.1), Anaheim (43.4) and San Jose (41.5).

Looking ahead, Clark County's population is projected to continue growing, with rates ranging from 1.8 percent in 2023 to 2.3 percent in 2026, according to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Center for Business and Economic Research. In the longer run, population growth rates are projected to generally slow, with southern Nevada’s population topping 3 million by 2030.