LAS VEGAS — A new global urban-preferences study suggests that many young Las Vegans view the city as a temporary stop rather than a long-term home.
The Gensler City Pulse 2025 survey, which gathered responses from 33,000 residents in 65 cities, found that half of Gen Z respondents in Las Vegas said they are likely to move away. That 50 percent share is the highest of any age group in the study. Millennials followed at 38 percent, Gen X at 35 percent, and baby boomers at 19 percent.
Researchers noted that young residents weigh the same core issues as older age groups when deciding whether to stay. Respondents identified cost of living, public safety, school quality and access to health care as their top considerations. The report encourages cities to improve affordability, strengthen schools, expand transit and address safety concerns to retain younger populations.
Other data show that Las Vegas experiences significant churn. Census estimates indicate that about 16 percent of city residents moved within the past year, a rate higher than the Nevada average. A Lincy Institute fact sheet from UNLV, citing Opportunity Insights data, found that from 1994 to 2018 one in three young adults raised in the Las Vegas region eventually moved to another state. Independent mobility studies have also pointed to a sharp reversal in migration patterns after the pandemic boom, including periods of negative net migration.
Even with this turnover, Las Vegas continues to grow and age. Census figures place the median age at roughly 38 years old, and nearly one in five residents is between 15 and 29.
The pattern matters for Asian and Filipino American communities. Filipinos now comprise the largest Asian population in Nevada, and they anchor the state’s first officially designated Filipino cultural district, Filipino Town, located east of the Strip. Community leaders say they hope young residents will see Las Vegas as a place where they can build careers, set down roots and stay for the long term.
City and business leaders now confront a clear challenge. Older residents show strong attachment to Las Vegas, but many Gen Z locals imagine a future elsewhere. Whether the city can keep them may depend on how quickly regional growth leads to safer neighborhoods, more affordable housing, better transportation and stronger schools. These are the everyday conditions that shape whether the youngest generation chooses to stay.
