Nevada's 11 Best Retirement Towns Ranked
Nevada has become an attractive destination for retirees thanks to its weather and senior-friendly tax policies. There is no income tax on Social Security or pensions, and no estate or inheritance taxes either. The towns below stand out for amenities and the ways they help fixed-income retirees stretch a budget. Ely sits over 6,000 feet near Great Basin National Park. Fallon’s cost of living runs 8% below the state median. The eleven Nevada towns below are ranked by senior amenities, outdoor recreation, and overall livability.
Tonopah
Tonopah sits at over 6,000 feet, with milder summer temperatures than the very hot Las Vegas Valley. The high elevation and lack of light pollution make it a strong location for the Clair Blackburn Memorial Stargazing Park, a spot with some of the darkest skies in Nevada and thousands of stars visible without a telescope. In terms of senior amenities, Tonopah has Tonopah Primary Care for local clinic services. Affordability is a strong draw, with Tonopah falling 12% below the state median in cost of living, according to the Economic Research Institute, while still keeping community events and celebrations like the Jim Butler Days in May.
Mining was a big deal here in Tonopah, and many of the landmarks point to that once-booming time, such as the Tonopah Historic Mining Park. The outdoor museum runs on the original layout of the silver mine. To stop and see the community, book a stay at the haunted Mizpah Hotel, a historic Tonopah hotel listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Mizpah houses one of the best restaurants in town, the steakhouse known as the Jack Dempsey Room.
Ely
Ely was a Pony Express station that boomed in the early 1900s thanks to copper mining. In the high basin country, Ely sits over 6,000 feet, which keeps temperatures and weather conditions mild most of the year. The William Bee Ririe Hospital serves all of White Pine County from Ely with 24-hour emergency care and specialty practices. Seniors can also follow an active social calendar in Ely, with annual festivals like Bristlecone Bricks and Train Show. You can learn more about the railroad history at one of the best-preserved short lines in the country, with daily rides through the basin via the Nevada Northern Railway Museum.
Retiring in Ely puts seniors near some of the best natural attractions of Nevada, including Cave Lake State Park with a reservoir holding rainbow trout, and Great Basin National Park, about an hour’s drive away, one of the largest in the state, with cave systems and Wheeler Peak rising 13,000 feet.
Laughlin
Laughlin sits about 90 miles from Las Vegas and only about 30 miles from Kingman, Arizona, for added resources during retirement. Senior living in Laughlin is active beyond resources like Western Arizona Regional Medical Center in nearby Bullhead City, while Laughlin casinos such as Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort offer hotel stays, gaming, dining, bowling, movies, and an auto museum.
Because Laughlin sits along the Colorado River, much of the appeal for seniors is the outdoor recreation, including fishing, boating, and the miles of riverside walking paths. The community stays active with annual events like the Laughlin Desert Classic, the finale for the season of the American Off Road Racing Championship Series, which happens here. Local businesses respond to the events with special menus and merchandise tied to the occasion.
Winnemucca
Sitting along I-80, Winnemucca is a well-connected location for seniors. As the seat of Humboldt County, retirees can use Humboldt General Hospital, which offers emergency, surgical, and specialty services. The average home value here runs close to 30% less than the state median for interested buyers. Part of the lower cost of living can be attributed to the remote and scenic surroundings, like the Sonoma-Humboldt Range, with hiking trails, cave systems, and stretches of scenic drives. The Rye Patch State Recreation Area is also accessible from Winnemucca and is one of the region’s best stops for bass and crappie fishing on a 22-mile reservoir.
History runs through Winnemucca’s community events and landmarks, starting with the Buckaroo Hall of Fame & Heritage Museum, built to commemorate the cowboys and vaqueros prominent in the 1800s. That history connects to annual festivals like Winnemucca’s Wildest Weekend, a fair and rodeo over Labor Day weekend.
Fallon
One advantage for seniors considering Fallon is its location, a reasonable drive from both Carson City and Reno. The cost of living here sits about 8% below the state median, according to the Economic Research Institute. Banner Churchill Community Hospital has 24/7 emergency care, surgical services, and outpatient care. For assisted living, Highland Village of Fallon is the choice of many. Cantaloupe is a major crop here, celebrated through the Hearts of Gold Cantaloupe Festival.
Discover the “Oasis of Nevada,” as Fallon is called. Sites like the Grimes Point & Hidden Cave Archaeological Site hold prehistoric petroglyphs in a cave with material going back 11,000 years. The town also leads outdoor enthusiasts, especially seniors looking to stay active, to the Fallon National Wildlife Refuge along migration paths in the Pacific Flyway, where shorebirds stop. The Sand Mountain Recreation Area is great for active seniors and is a strong stop near town for hiking and stargazing.
Yerington
Another conveniently placed town within driving distance of both Reno and Carson City, Yerington has plenty for seniors. The community is home to South Lyon Medical Center and Mason Valley Residence facilities. Yerington began as a mining town in 1871 and has grown into an agricultural hub, helping keep the community and region from becoming too commercialized. A celebration of that rural lifestyle takes place every summer at the Night in the Country Music Festival, where national country music acts take the stage over three days in late July.
Because much of the state’s entertainment and tourist draws are a short drive away, life in Yerington runs slower and less hectic. The 60-mile Walker River Scenic Drive curves along the banks of the namesake river. History runs through the local culture as well, with visitors able to learn about Yerington’s mining past through the Lyon County Museum and view the historic Anaconda Copper Mine area from outside the abandoned mine site.
Fernley
Fernley is one of the fastest-growing municipalities in Nevada, with a population now over 24,000. Also in Lyon County, Fernley is good for seniors, with a roughly 35-mile drive to Reno and only 25 miles to Sparks. Seniors tend to enjoy this city for its activity level, much of which centers on the Reno-Fernley Raceway for motorsports at all skill levels. Every August, the city puts on FernStock, a fundraiser that brings out thousands of residents for food, music, and an auction that all help fund the Fernley Community Foundation. Combined with local care at Banner Health Center in Fernley, access to Banner Churchill Community Hospital in Fallon, and senior living communities like Fernley Estates Assisted Living & Memory Care, the community stands out as an option for retirees.
Even with the city amenities of restaurants and shops growing as fast as Fernley does, the town is also a strong location for slowing down. The Lahontan Valley Wetlands east of Fernley supports tundra swans, pelicans, and other shorebirds during migration by the thousands, making it a strong birdwatching location. Pyramid Lake lies northwest of Fernley via I-80 and Highway 446, allowing seniors to appreciate the Native American influence by entering Paiute Tribal lands to fish, swim, and enjoy the turquoise lake known for Lahontan cutthroat trout.
Elko
For seniors seeking distance from major West Coast metros, Elko stands out as a haven for retirees who don’t rely on cities. Affordability is a result, with the average home value 19% below the state median and the cost of living below the national and state averages. Combined with senior-focused living at the Highland Village of Elko and the full-service Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital with emergency, surgical, oncology, cardiology, and primary care, Elko is a top-tier choice for retirees who want to see the natural beauty of the area and appreciate the rich history. That history shows up in events like the annual National Basque Festival, which has been running here since 1964, and the artifacts and exhibits connected to the people of the Great Basin at the Northeastern Nevada Museum.
Much of the appeal for retirees living in Elko is the countryside. Only 20 miles away, the Ruby Mountains rise to peaks as high as 11,000 feet, with some of the region’s best skiing and fly fishing depending on the season. Lamoille Canyon, often called the state’s Yosemite, ends at the base of these mountains and has numerous trailheads into the wilderness.
Pahrump
Pahrump is rapidly becoming a premier destination for seniors thanks to affordability and proximity, having grown from a remote small town into a city of nearly 45,000, with more than 31% of residents over 65. As a result, much of the city’s programming and focus is on senior living, from Desert View Hospital’s many services to assisted living facilities like Inspirations. Near Pahrump, Spring Mountain Motor Resort & Country Club offers club membership, high-performance driving schools, track rentals, karting, and corporate events.
The Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, accessible east of Pahrump via Highway 160, runs as the regional base for hiking through the Spring Mountains, with Mt. Charleston rising over 11,900 feet in Lee Canyon and Kyle Canyon. Thirty miles the other direction, residents can reach Death Valley National Park attractions such as Badwater Basin. Annual events get the community together, including the Pahrump Fall Festival with more than 140 vendors, a rodeo, carnival, and live entertainment over a weekend in September.
Mesquite
If Pahrump has a senior-friendly population, Mesquite is even more so, with roughly 47% of its residents over the age of 65. The programming and resources of this city of around 22,000 favor retirees, with six golf courses within the city limits, including Wolf Creek Golf Club, rated one of the best in the country. About 300 warm days a year is another favorable aspect for seniors choosing Mesquite, beyond resources like Mesa View Regional Hospital or the Mesa Valley Estates facilities. One of the best ways to experience Mesquite is to visit during the Mesquite Hot Air Balloon Festival in January, with mild weather and views of hot air balloons filling the skies.
Nature lovers come to Mesquite for its access to outdoor attractions in nearby Nevada and Arizona. From Mesquite, seniors can drive about 20 miles northeast into Arizona to visit the Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area, where short trails and canyon views showcase the Virgin River Gorge. Valley of Fire State Park, the state’s oldest, sits about 45 miles southwest of Mesquite, with fire-red sandstone and ancient petroglyphs from civilizations long since gone.
Boulder City
For a historic experience that offers a residential feel apart from the gambling and entertainment for which southern Nevada is best known, seniors have found Boulder City. Created by the federal government for the workers building the Hoover Dam, the town now holds 15,000 people and a strong location, close to both Las Vegas and Henderson. The dam itself is one of the region’s main attractions and is widely considered one of the wonders of modern engineering. Boulder City Hospital and several senior living communities, led by Lakeview Terrace of Boulder City, support local healthcare. The cost of living here is slightly under the state median.
In the community, many of the structures at the city’s core are original buildings, protected and preserved, like the Boulder Dam Hotel, with a glimpse of early-1900s architecture every time a retiree walks through downtown. Despite the historic nature of the buildings here, the whole place comes together around Bicentennial Park for the Spring Jamboree in May, a celebration that has been a staple since 1977. While Boulder City itself has outlawed gambling, everywhere around it has not. Just north of the community, seniors can take advantage of the Railroad Pass Casino, the state’s oldest, much closer and more connected to Boulder City than Las Vegas.
Senior Living in the Best Nevada Destinations
Nevada has become a welcoming destination for retirees, whether the draw is hundreds of hot-air balloons in the sky over a craggy backdrop, as in Mesquite, or a celebration of cowboy culture at the Buckaroo Hall of Fame & Heritage Museum in Winnemucca. The eleven towns above are affordable, senior-friendly destinations that keep retirees connected to major metropolitan areas without compromising the comforts of a residential feel.
