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Short Profiles of Reader Requested Towns

In their search for a great retirement spot, readers ask us to profile all kinds of towns, from the places they grew up or attended college to places they have visited in their travels or just heard about from other people.  This page is where we address these profile requests.

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Henderson, Nevada

3-4-2010

Nestled in the Mojave Desert and partially ringed by the McCullough Mountain Range, Henderson (population 270,000) is essentially a residential suburb of Las Vegas and was incorporated just 57 years ago.  In many ways, it is indistinguishable from Vegas' suburbs and is characterized by new master-planned communities and tract housing, particularly on the southern end of the city.   While Vegas is to the northwest, two other attractions, Lake Mead and Hoover Dam, are to the east, and the area plays host to millions of tourists every year.   

Henderson is well laid out and mostly feels new, with fresh construction and wide streets, some lined with palm trees (there are, of course, some older neighborhood, as well).  The cost of living is 8% above the national average, and the median home price is $235,000, down 30% in just the last year alone.  Anthem is a large age-restricted community with many neighborhoods, and Green Valley Ranch is a manufactured "lifestyle center" with retail shops and residential housing.   Of Henderson's population, 34% is age 45 or better.   The city tends to attract a lot of families, and the median household income is above the national average.

During the winter months, the mild weather invites residents to enjoy outdoor activities in the city's 41 parks, 8 golf courses and 55 miles of walking and bicycling trails.   Lake Mead, 112 miles long and the largest reservoir in the U.S., is just twenty miles away and attracts boaters, fishermen (and women), swimmers, hikers and campers.  The Lake is, though, suffering in the current drought conditions and is at roughly 50% of capacity; the shoreline is shrinking and some marinas have closed or have been relocated.  During the summer, temperatures can reach 110 degrees (with very, very little humidity), and most activity moves indoors where air conditioning runs non-stop.   The sun shines 300 days a year.

St. Rose Dominican is the primary hospital and has several campuses.  It is a non-profit, religious-sponsored facility, providing services in cardiology, neurosurgery, surgery and emergency medicine, and it meets national averages in most specialties.  Las Vegas has a dozen hospitals and medical centers.

Most people who live in Henderson seem to enjoy it, but the city is having some problems.  Nevada continues to be the hardest hit state when it comes to foreclosures, leading the nation in filings in 2009, and Henderson contributes to this high rate (in January, 1 in 82 homes received a foreclosure notice).  It is with good reason that President Obama recently chose Henderson as the place to announce his new foreclosure rescue program.    Lake Las Vegas, a beautiful, huge, high-profile resort and residential community in Henderson, recently filed for bankruptcy (although its golf course remains open), and city neighborhoods are being impacted by vacant houses.

Nevada's unemployment rate is also above the national average, hovering around 13% (25% when part time workers and underemployed workers are factored in).  Much of this unemployment is centered in Las Vegas (even with the recent opening of the huge CityCenter), but it spills over into Henderson.  

This city grew by nearly 40% during the last decade, and housing subdivisions spilled into the desert.  Today, the boom is over, and much of Henderson's future depends on what happens in Las Vegas, which is not expected to recover from the current economic slump for some time.  Henderson also has poor air quality, and water restrictions are in place as the region suffers through a severe drought.  Water usage has been declining, but if the water situation does not improve, the entire Las Vegas/Henderson area faces severe water shortages in the future.

Recommended as a Retirement Spot? X Not right now...   X

Desert climate, new homes, water recreation, pretty scenery, moderate crime rate and world-class amenities in nearby Las Vegas bring people here, but the high foreclosure rate, high unemployment rate and water issues are strong negatives.  Henderson seems to be a nice place, but a move here should probably be delayed until its water issues are resolved and its unemployment and foreclosure numbers come down.

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