Survey Ranks Nevada Among Worst States in Which to Raise a Family
Posted on: January 26, 2026, 08:44h.
Last updated on: January 26, 2026, 10:10h.
- Nevada isn’t an ideal place to raise a family, a new study finds
- Education, affordability, and divorce rates were cited for Nevada’s poor rank
A new survey suggests that Nevada is among the worst places to raise a family.
Researchers at WalletHub, a personal finance website, recently ranked the 50 states on how well each fares in being family-friendly. Key metrics included median household income, housing affordability, healthcare quality, crime rates, and public school performance.
Raising a family has become significantly more expensive in recent years as the cost of living has risen quickly. In fact, it can cost a family as much as $320,000 to raise a child to age 18, according to statistics from the US Department of Agriculture. In light of the expensive nature of being a parent and the responsibility it entails, it’s important to live in a city that is affordable while still providing quality health care, education, safety, and opportunities for enrichment,” said Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst.
Other considerations included child care costs and “family-fun rank,” a measure of the share of families with young children, the number of nearby attractions like amusement parks, fitness and recreational centers per capita, and the share of children aged one to 17 who live in neighborhoods with a park or playground.
Nevada Scores Low Marks
Massachusetts scored as the best place to raise a family. Nevada, home to Las Vegas and the so-called “Sin City,” was on the other end.
The casino capital of the country ranked 47th out of the 50 states, with poor marks for health and safety (48), education and child care (49), affordability (49), and socio-economics (50). Nevada also ranked 49th in separations and divorces. The lone bright spot for the Silver State was its ranking 7th for family fun.
Nevada’s overall score of 36.78 beat only Mississippi (35.99), West Virginia (35.84), and New Mexico (32.69). Massachusetts scored 67.60. Minnesota (63.1), North Dakota (61.6), Wisconsin (60.58), and Nebraska (60.41) rounded out the top five.
Nevada, of course, ranks first in the number of casinos. As of November, the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) reported that the state had 314 locations licensed to conduct some form of gambling. Over the past 12 months, gamblers lost $15.82 billion in Nevada.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Nevada is home to approximately 3.26 million people, a 5.2% surge since 2020. The federal population data agency reports that 5.2% of the Nevada population is under the age of five, with 21.1% under the age of 18. About 17.6% is aged 65 and older.
The median value of owner-occupied housing units in Nevada is $406,100, and the median household income is roughly $75,600. That’s slightly below the national average of $83,700.
Retirement Friendly
While Nevada might not be ideal to raise a family, in 2024, Zillow reported that Pahrump was the “most popular retirement city” in the US.
Fifty miles outside of Las Vegas, Pahrump is this year’s most popular retirement city. With a warm climate and more than one-third of its population aged 65 and older, Pahrump is an ideal community for retirees,” the Zillow report read.
Casino.org fielded an array of comments about retiring in Pahrump.
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