Is Paradise, Nevada really paradise? For a few crucial reasons that residents have decided to talk about often, it doesn’t seem to be. Here are a few reasons why you may want to rethink moving to Paradise, Nevada that will make sure you aren’t going into this decision blind.
1. Crime Rates
Crime in Nevada is higher than in other states, but Paradise is especially bad. The total crime rate is 51% higher than the national average, and a lot of that is thanks to violent crime. Violent crimes are crimes that specifically harm another person like assault, while property crimes deal with damage or theft of property like burglary. Both are not something you want in your neighborhood.
Violent crime in Paradise is 76%
higher than the national average. That’s more than three quarters higher than the national average! Don’t worry, property crime isn’t as bad, but it is still 46% higher than the national average. It’s really a shame when you can’t count on being safe in your own city. If you choose to move to Paradise, make sure you get some good security cameras.
If you ever come to Paradise, lock your doors. There have been more stolen bikes than there are stars in the sky here. Security is almost a joke. This is a city that is known for its nightlife, and it isn’t even safe to go out at night! Citizens move around the streets in groups and avoid certain streets and alleyways to stay safe, and you probably should too. Also, consider getting some pepper spray, as you might have to use it regularly.
2. Education
Nobody likes school, and you’ll like it even less in Paradise, Nevada. Average test scores, high school diplomas, and bachelor’s degrees are all under the national average! Test scores aren’t everything, but they can be an indication of the school system’s dedication to students and their education. When there’s such a large gap between a school system’s test scores and the nation’s test scores, that’s worrisome.
The rest of Nevada isn’t doing much better. They were ranked by one study as being dead last in education quality. Its education is given a D grade, which isn’t looking too good for the silver state. You could try giving homeschooling a shot if you have the time. Education isn’t for everyone, but it can be a big indicator of future success. If you want to move somewhere that can give you or your children a good education, focus on learning, and a leg up in life, then Paradise, Nevada isn’t for you.
3. Heat
The weather in Paradise is tolerable in the winter, but for about half the year, you can’t even go outside. The weather is prone to getting above 100℉ in the summer, which is so hot you could probably cook an egg on the pavement. Sunburns are commonplace, and you will have to park your car in the shade or you could burn your hands on the steering wheel when you get in after a few hours.
Because Paradise is in Nevada, which is a desert, water isn’t always easy to find and droughts aren’t uncommon. You may have to ration your water usage, especially during the summer.
While living in Paradise, you will need to be careful about getting heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Heat exhaustion leads to heat stroke if not treated, and can cause dizziness, nausea, and even fainting. Heat stroke can have lasting consequences, so if you start getting heat exhaustion, drink some water, and go inside. You can pass the time staring at your dead grass.
4. High Cost of Living
It is extremely expensive to live in Paradise, Nevada! I suppose you could say Paradise comes at a cost, and you would be right. There are two sides to the high cost of living in this city. One is the regular cost of living anywhere, which is based on wages compared to the costs of things like groceries, rent, and insurance. Knowing that just being alive is going to cost you more than you thought can keep anybody from sleeping at night. Living is just too expensive nowadays!
There’s also the fact that Paradise is just a monetary sort of town. It has a tourism and shopping-based economy that comes with a lot of pressure to have money and then spend that money. You may find yourself going shopping more often than you used to, as you want to support the local economy and it is something to do in your free time.
High living costs can stress out anyone and put a big damper on your fun. Yeah, there’s a lot of excitement to be had in Paradise, but it’s all very expensive excitement. If you don’t have money, the fun can get sucked away. This sort of fast-paced and expensive lifestyle works for some, but for most, it just ends up being exhausting. You would be better off in a smaller, more genuine sort of city, so you may want to reconsider moving to Paradise.
5. Tourism
Despite its high temperatures, Paradise draws in tourists. Tourism is fun, but only if you are a tourist. For residents, that is not necessarily the case. Tourism leads to crowding and bad traffic. They clog the roads and increase the number of accidents everywhere they go. Snowbirds are a special brand of tourist that seems to draw more ire than anyone else. They come for the fair weather winter, then leave for the horrifically hot summers.
Tourists can be frustrating and turn entire towns into markets and scams. Everything on your street becomes a competition to see who can get the most money out of tourists, and shopping just sort of swallows the whole town. It can be stressful and put a lot of pressure on residents and tourists alike to spend more money than you should.
Living in a monetary town can be exhausting. You’ll be subjected to a lot of pushing, shoving, and selling. It is not much fun to be displaced in your own town, is it? Maybe you should just live somewhere else and visit Paradise on occasion as everybody else does.
6. Poverty
Everyone knows poverty isn’t something to take lightly. And it certainly isn’t light in Paradise, Nevada. Poverty rates are higher than the national average and stood at 17.4% as of 2019. Poverty rates have been higher all around recently, but this was before 2020. Poverty affects everybody whether they realize it or not. It’s sad to see such a dark fate affect so many people in Paradise. There are also a lot of people that are ready to point fingers at the plentiful and easily accessed casinos that have a habit of sucking people in and spitting them back out when they’ve been drained dry.
Poverty rates can also indicate less education and a higher amount of homelessness in a region, both of which are sad realities that are just all too common in Paradise. If you ever have to move to Paradise, you should be prepared for your budget to shrink a bit more than you would like it to. Paradise just isn’t the glamorous, brightly shining city it pretends to be. There’s a dark side to this city that visitors don’t see that residents know all too well. If you want to know that dark side, go ahead and move to Paradise.
7. Roads and Traffic
Roads are not great in Paradise, Nevada. A big part of this is the earlier mentioned tourists that clog up roads, especially in the winter months when they all come down south to escape the snow of their hometowns. The road quality also just isn’t up to scratch. Driving in Paradise can be a huge pain.
Another problem is the heat in cars. Cars can get extremely hot in the summer, so driving means you’ll have to sit in the car and try not to touch the buckle of your seat belt. If you do, you could get third-degree burns.
Even in fair weather, driving on the Paradise roads will make you wonder if you can brave walking. The large crowds also increase the number of car accidents that hit the roads. Not only are car accidents dangerous and can cause massive amounts of damage, but they also slow down the already backed up streets in Paradise.
8. Scorpions and Other Terrifying Desert Monsters
Nevada is home to a lot of things: unbearable sunshine, Las Vegas, and arachnids the size of a candy bar that can sting you if you go out in sandals, which you are likely to do in the Paradise heat that I talked about earlier. Paradise’s hot, sandy terrain is home to many scorpions, among other terrifying members of the arthropod family. A pattern I’ve noticed in Mother Nature is the hotter the region, the bigger the bugs.
Most scorpions aren’t deadly but can pack quite a punch and live in groups. Notice I said most, not all, scorpions can’t kill you. You will definitely be in pain if you step on a scorpion because of the stinger that will likely puncture your skin, even if they aren’t venomous. While scorpion-related deaths aren’t very high, you should still look where you step in the hot and sunny desert of Paradise, Nevada.
There are also plenty of tarantulas, cockroaches, and other fun household friends that you’ll want to give a wide berth. Tarantulas and cockroaches, like scorpions, aren’t deadly, but they still aren’t something you want to find in your sock drawer. Maybe the founders of Paradise, Nevada gave the city its name because it is a paradise for bugs and other creepy-crawly creatures, as it certainly isn’t a paradise for humans.
9. Casinos
The high number of casinos in Paradise can be seen as a pro or con. Some people like the business they bring in and find them to be a lot of fun! However, to others, they can be perpetrators of dangerous addictions and bring in a lot of riff raffs. They can also be loud, bright, and obnoxious, especially at night.
If spending a night in the casino isn’t your idea of a great time, then the flashing lights and loud noise from the many, many casinos in Paradise can really start to get on your nerves. Some people enjoy casinos and find them fun, but it’s a lot less fun when you start to have a losing streak.
Gambling addictions are no joke! They can lead people to ruin and be extremely hard to overcome. There are stories of people’s entire lives being ruined by gambling. So, unless you love gambling and noise, Paradise can really get on your nerves and make you question why you ever moved there.
If the bright lights are what brings you the most joy in the world, then you will likely enjoy living in Paradise! I’d say there’s no place like it, but considering how many people think it’s Las Vegas, I would be lying.
10. Unemployment
On top of everything else, the unemployment rate in Paradise is just too high. The unemployment rate is 2.8% higher than the national average, as the unemployment rate in Paradise, Nevada is 8.8% and the national average is 6.0%. It seems like the fast-paced environment of Paradise just has a way of leaving people behind.
It’s sad to see, but the everyday life of Paradise is just not the same glittering, brightly lit world of the nightlife that is shown to tourists and vacationers.
High unemployment can make your future rocky and uncertain and lead to further stress and desperation. I hope you don’t end up living somewhere you regret. Best of luck if you ever move to Paradise, Nevada.
Overall, there are many reasons why you will want to reconsider moving to or even visiting Paradise, Nevada. Residents have found many issues with the city that you will likely encounter as well, even if you try to avoid them.
