Report: Las Vegas Ranked 7th Best City in America 

Las Vegas has climbed to the No. 7 spot in Resonance Consultancy’s 2026 America’s Best Cities ranking, up from ninth the previous year, according to a new report highlighted by Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo. The city outperformed larger metros including Dallas (No. 8), Houston (No. 9), and Boston (No. 10), trailing only New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, San Francisco, and Seattle. 

The annual ranking evaluates 393 U.S. metro areas across three core pillars: livability, lovability, and prosperity. It incorporates economic data, quality-of-life metrics, prime-age population attraction (ages 25-44), visitation trends, business formation, and user-generated content from platforms like Google, Instagram, and TikTok.

Las Vegas earned particularly strong marks in the lovability category, ranking No. 3 overall. The report praised the city’s “magnetic” pull despite 2025 tourism headwinds: “The city’s pull is still magnetic, and it shows up where it counts: Las Vegas ranks #3 on our Lovability index, #3 for Facebook Check-ins, #6 for Instagram Posts, and #4 for Shopping.” 

Clark County saw nearly 38.5 million visitors in 2025, with convention attendance holding steady at roughly 6 million. Hotel occupancy exceeded 80 percent, average daily rates hovered around $184 (one of the highest years on record), and gaming revenue edged higher. Air passenger traffic topped 55 million. 

Governor Lombardo (R) celebrated the recognition on social media, stating: “Las Vegas ranked as one of the best cities in America. We’re building an environment where families, workers, businesses, and visitors all want to be. There’s more work to do, but we’re moving our state in the right direction.”

This positive momentum aligns with broader economic trends tracked by the California Globe. Nevada led the nation in job growth under Lombardo, with the workforce expanding 1.9% from April 2025 to April 2026, the highest rate in the country, while accounting for about 12% of all new U.S. jobs despite representing just 1% of the population. 

The Silver State also topped national business strength rankings in recent reports, with the Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas metro leading the major metros category. 

The rankings come as California continues to hemorrhage residents and businesses to lower-tax, more business-friendly states like Nevada. The California Globe has extensively documented the ongoing exodus driven by California’s sky-high taxes, energy mandates, unchecked spending on homelessness and social services, and other progressive policies. 

The visible shift of luxury real estate activity in Northern and Southern Nevada underscores the competitive reality: states without an income tax or with lighter regulatory loads are positioned to benefit when California’s policies become punitive.

Las Vegas and other Nevada destinations have emerged as prime spots for Californians seeking opportunity and relief from the “Newsom Effect.”