According to the recent 2021 Niche.com ranking, 10 of the top 22 best places to live in Nevada are neighborhoods in the city of Henderson, including the neighborhood ranked #1 in the state. What’s more, prior to the publication of the Niche rating, buyers were already casting their votes by making several of Henderson’s 14 master-planned communities some of the nation’s top selling developments in 2020.
So, what is making this Southern Nevada city the center of such attraction?
Planning is the key. Henderson’s neighborhoods have been meticulously designed to include those elements that today’s home owners seek. Quality of construction, naturally, but also walkability, plenty of green space, recreation. And home buyers want great schools and a sense of community. Henderson neighborhoods provide all that. Our neighborhoods aren’t just livable. They are lovable.
Diversity is another advantage driving Henderson’s thriving real estate market, with buyers attracted by varying amenities, settings and prices, which range from the low six figures to low eight figures. With its ample green space and parks, vibrant mixed-use elements, and a well-regarded high school, Green Valley Ranch made the top spot in Niche’s list. Others are equally beloved by their residents, whether it’s Cadence, with its 50-acre Central Park and superbly equipped golf and tennis club, or Tuscany, a more intimate neighborhood where street designs, tiled roofs and stone construction materials provide a Tuscan village feel true to the community’s name.
Best of everything.
Housing and neighborhoods aren’t the only reason the city of Henderson has made the “best of” quality of life lists of organizations that also include Money Magazine, U.S. News and World Report, WalletHub and others. And the diverse qualities that have drawn accolades from national list-makers are also drawing new residents. In Henderson, the “best of everything” applies to whatever a resident’s “thing” may be.
In this fast-growing city where new residents are arriving from all parts of the nation, What brings you to Henderson? is a question that has many answers.
For Mark Rauenzahn, Director of Beverage Marketing for Ocean Spray, the answer is the great outdoors.
24/7 recreation infrastructure.
“One of the reasons I moved to Henderson before I even knew anything about the area other than the weather was the park system,” says Rauenzahn, who relocated to Henderson in 2009. “The bike trails, the walking trails.”
It’s easy to see why the trails are popular. Henderson offers 297 sunny days a year to enjoy trails that stretch 180 miles across the city, part of an award-winning park system that includes 64 parks encompassing 1,306 acres, 64 tennis courts, 105 athletic fields, 10 pools and aquatic centers and 13 golf courses.
All these facilities represent a significant investment that Rauenzahn recognizes as an important municipal value. “This is critical infrastructure that people can use every single day, day and night.”
Rauenzah also enjoys Henderson’s close proximity to three national recreation and conservation areas, including Red Rock National Conservation Area. For Rauenzah, who grew up on the East Coast near Philadelphia surrounded by factories, Red Rock is a favorite, a world-class rock-climbing destination where dramatic red and white sandstone cliffs jut toward the clouds.
Many people are drawn to Henderson’s spectacular Southern Nevada views, enjoyed at national parks, on city trails and in neighborhoods set at higher elevations. However, the view of the future is also bringing new residents. In an area with nine institutions of higher learning and a robust and rapidly diversifying economy, the future looks as bright as the Southern Nevada sun.
Virtuous cycles of growth, vibrant downtown resurgence.
“In Henderson, we’ve created the kind of alignment between education and opportunity that spurs and catalyzes growth,” notes Derek Armstrong, Director of Henderson Economic Development and Tourism. “For example, our area has a high percentage of area graduates in the health care field, which is feeding Henderson’s healthcare sector, including the Henderson Hospital. And that sector is really taking off, which means greater career opportunities and advancement. The same virtuous cycle is true for manufacturing and technology. Our growth has been exponential, and that’s attracting young people.”
Another enticing factor for young people is the revival of the historic downtown Water Street District, where brew pubs and nightlife and expanding dining choices are creating a downtown scene that is refreshingly on-trend and inviting.
Rauenzah credits the city for these new amenities. “The city of Henderson has done a really good job pulling in some things to do at night. Like the Water Street resurgence and the local investment in Henderson by bigger ticket restaurants. It’s all right here,” he says.
Whatever the wish list—or the niche—Henderson has it.
