What $500K Buys in Las Vegas and Henderson
$400K, $500K and $600K, neighborhood by neighborhood.
$500,000 buys a regular single-family house in most of the Las Vegas Valley. The median single-family home sold for $475,000 in August 2026, and the median price was about $254 per square foot, so $500,000 lands you around 2,000 square feet in a lot of neighborhoods. In Los Angeles County, the same money buys about 850 square feet, if you can find it.
Matt’s version: “When you tell them, hey, this house is $450, they’re like, oh my God.” Here’s what’s behind the “oh my God,” neighborhood by neighborhood.
The math, side by side
| Where | Median price per sq ft (Aug 2026) | $500,000 buys about |
|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas | $254 | 1,970 sq ft |
| Henderson | $257 | 1,950 sq ft |
| Los Angeles County | $589 | 850 sq ft |
| San Diego County | $596 | 840 sq ft |
| Orange County | $676 | 740 sq ft |
| Santa Clara County | $916 | 550 sq ft |
Source: Redfin median sale price per square foot, August 2026. The last column is simple division, so treat it as a ballpark, not a listing search.
In August 2026, the median single-family home sold for $946,950 in Los Angeles County, $1,452,500 in Orange County and $1,090,000 in San Diego County, according to the California Association of Realtors. “I don’t even think you could buy dirt for that there,” Matt says about a $450,000 house. He’s close. In Orange County, $500,000 is about a third of the median.
The honest exception: the Inland Empire. San Bernardino County’s median was $522,370 and Riverside County’s was $632,990 in August. If you’re coming from there, your house budget won’t change much. Taxes will. See our Nevada vs California taxes guide for that side.
Around $400,000
At this price you’re choosing between a townhome, a smaller or older single-family house, a condo, or a 55+ community.
- Townhomes and condos across the valley. The Las Vegas median for condos and townhomes was $299,900 in August 2026 (Las Vegas Realtors), so $400,000 gets you a bigger or newer one.
- New-build townhomes. KB Home’s Chelsea Commons on West Oquendo Road in southwest Las Vegas (89148) listed townhome-style homes from $329,990, about 1,201 to 1,895 square feet, in September 2026. KB’s Arete at Kyle Canyon in the northwest (89166) started at $414,990 for two-story single-family homes of about 1,590 to 2,469 square feet.
- Boulder City. Homes sold for a median of about $438,450 (Nevada Real Estate Group, 2026). Most are older, 1930s bungalows through 1990s tract homes, and most have no HOA.
- Sun City Summerlin (55+). Median list price about $449,450 in September 2026 (RetireBetterNow), all single-story, built from 1989 into the 2000s.
- Lake Las Vegas condos. MonteLago Village and Viera condos had a median around $420,000 (Nevada Real Estate Group). Christina wants to live out there someday. “It’s quiet, it’s like a small town,” she says. The HOA on a condo is higher, because it covers more.
Around $500,000
This is the heart of the Las Vegas market.
Mountain’s Edge. Homes sold for a median of about $469,500 in August 2026 (Nevada Real Estate Group), and Homes.com puts the median single-family sale at about $499,000. The typical house was built around 2007, runs about 2,267 square feet and sits on a lot around 4,356 square feet, which is one-tenth of an acre. Mostly two-story, tile roof, block walls, a small backyard. Combined HOA fees usually run $50 to $150 a month.
Green Valley in Henderson. Henderson’s first master plan. Real702 puts a typical three or four bedroom 1980s or 1990s home at $420,000 to $580,000 (July 2026). You get mature trees, often bigger lots, and older systems. Matt has “sold a ton of Green Valley.” Budget for a roof, a water heater or an AC unit sooner than you would in a newer area.
Henderson overall. Median sale price about $495,422 in August 2026 (Redfin), about $257 a square foot.
Rhodes Ranch in southwest Las Vegas. A guard-gated golf community with homes from the late 1990s to 2017. Agent sites put its median between the mid $400s and high $500s depending on the month.
New construction at Cadence in Henderson. Lennar’s Midtown Accent listed a three-bedroom, 1,445 square foot plan from $432,990 and a five-bedroom, 2,218 square foot plan from $476,990 in September 2026. Many new builds carry SID or LID assessments, so read our new construction under $500K guide before you walk into a sales office.
Around $600,000
A little more money opens up the neighborhoods people have heard of.
- Green Valley Ranch, Henderson. Median sale about $557,500 (Homes.com, 2026). Homes built from 1994 to 2008, so newer than Green Valley proper, with combined HOA around $60 to $180 a month (Nevada Real Estate Group).
- Inspirada, Henderson. Homes.com puts the median near $579,370, with townhomes around $425,000. The median home here was built in 2017. Add the LID.
- Summerlin. The overall median was about $686,000 in 2026 (Rose Homes), so $600,000 gets you a townhome, an older village, or the smaller floor plans. As Matt says about The Vistas and The Paseos: “Those are regular houses, they just have a little extra price on them because of the name.”
- Lake Las Vegas production homes. Lennar and Del Webb have been building there. “They’re not all castles anymore,” Matt says.
- A bigger house in Mountain’s Edge. Three to four bedroom single-family homes there mostly run $500,000 to $650,000.
The quick comparison
| Neighborhood | Typical price | Homes mostly built | HOA picture |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder City | Median about $438,450 (2026) | 1930s to 1990s | Mostly no HOA |
| Sun City Summerlin (55+) | Median list about $449,450 (Sep 2026) | 1989 to 2000s | About $207 to $230 a month plus a one-time fee |
| Mountain’s Edge | Median about $469,500 (Aug 2026) | Mid-2000s on | About $50 to $150 a month combined |
| Green Valley | About $420,000 to $580,000 for a 3 to 4 bedroom (Jul 2026) | 1980s and 1990s | Low or none on some streets |
| Henderson overall | Median about $495,422 (Aug 2026) | Every era | Varies by master plan |
| Green Valley Ranch | Median about $557,500 (2026) | 1994 to 2008 | About $60 to $180 a month |
| Inspirada | Median about $579,370 (2026) | Median 2017 | $95 community fee plus sub fees and an LID |
| Summerlin | Median about $686,000 (2026) | 1990s on | Master $69 to $76 plus village fee |
Sources: Nevada Real Estate Group, RetireBetterNow, Real702, Redfin, Homes.com, Rose Homes, Inspirada and the Las Vegas Review-Journal, as dated. Medians use each source’s own boundaries, so compare them loosely.
Read the table two ways. Left to right, it’s a price ladder. Top to bottom, it’s a trade-off between older homes with fewer fees and newer homes with more of them. The middle is a fine place to land.
What you won’t get for $500,000
We’d rather you hear it from us than at the first showing.
A big yard, in the newer areas. A 2000s production home on a tenth of an acre is normal. If you want a quarter acre, you’re looking at older neighborhoods like parts of Green Valley, or a higher price.
The ocean. Obviously.
A no-HOA street, in most of the valley. They exist, mostly in older areas. Our HOA fees guide shows where.
Brand new, big and close in, all at once. Pick two. New and under $500,000 usually means the edges of the valley or a townhome. Close in and under $500,000 usually means older.
How to make $500,000 go further right now
The market is on your side, a little. Las Vegas had about 4.5 months of supply in August 2026 (Las Vegas Realtors), the closest thing to balanced in years. Redfin’s August data shows 39% of Las Vegas homes had a price drop and the typical home sold about 2% under list.
That gives you room to ask for closing costs, a rate buydown or repairs. You can also look at homes that have sat for 60 days. Ask why before you assume there’s a problem. Sometimes it’s just bad photos.
And before you fall for anything, do what Matt tells every buyer: drive the street at 10 o’clock at night.
Frequently asked questions about what $500K buys in Las Vegas
What does $500K buy in Las Vegas?
Usually a single-family home of around 2,000 square feet, built in the 2000s, with three or four bedrooms and a small yard. The Las Vegas median single-family price was $475,000 in August 2026, at about $254 per square foot. In Los Angeles County, $500,000 buys roughly 850 square feet.
Can you buy a house in Las Vegas for $400,000?
Yes. At $400,000 you can buy a townhome, a newer condo, an older single-family home, a new-build townhome on the edges of the valley, or a home in a 55+ community like Sun City Summerlin. Boulder City’s median was about $438,450 in 2026, with most homes there outside an HOA.
Are home prices dropping in Las Vegas?
Prices are roughly flat. The Las Vegas median single-family price was $475,000 in August 2026, down 1.0% from a year earlier, according to Las Vegas Realtors. Inventory was up about 5%, with around 4.5 months of supply, which gives buyers more room to negotiate than in recent years.
Is there first-time homebuyer help in Nevada?
Yes. The Nevada Housing Division’s Home Is Possible program offers down payment assistance of up to 4% of the loan amount as a 30-year second loan, for buyers who haven’t owned a home in three years. It requires a 640 minimum credit score, homebuyer education, and county income and price limits.
How much house can I get in Henderson for $500,000?
In August 2026 Henderson’s median sale price was about $495,422 at about $257 per square foot, so $500,000 buys roughly 1,950 square feet at the median. That might be a 1980s or 1990s Green Valley home, a townhome in Inspirada, or a new build in Cadence.
Tell us your number
Give us your budget and the three things you won’t give up. We’ll send back real homes in the neighborhoods that fit. If you’re still in California, see how we handle buying from California.
Matt: 702-324-8685 · Christina: 702-827-6146 · Send us a note
More guides for Californians moving here are on our resources page.
Prices and programs change monthly. Figures are dated and sourced above. This is general information, not financial advice.