a landable guide
Desert sun, public land within reach, and a price that still makes sense. The Southwest ranked beyond Phoenix and Las Vegas.
By Karol Gajda
The Southwest offers what most of the country cannot: sun counts above 300 days in places, public land directly accessible from mid-size cities, and a cost of living that has not fully caught up with the lifestyle. Phoenix and Las Vegas get the attention, but the region runs wider than those two.
This list covers Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah metros, ranked by outdoor access, parks, affordability, and weather. The heat score penalizes the most extreme low-desert cities.
01
Photo by Stephanie Klepacki on Unsplash
NM · 924k metro
Albuquerque tops the Southwest: an outdoor score of 81, 205 pleasant days, and $1,489 median rent. Public land and desert sun at a workable price.
$1,489
median rent / month
205
pleasant days a year
81
OutdoorScore (0 to 100)
02
Photo by Matthias Mullie on Unsplash
NV · 2.3M metro
Las Vegas lands second with an outdoor score of 80 and 210 pleasant days, at $1,731 a month.
$1,731
median rent / month
210
pleasant days a year
80
OutdoorScore (0 to 100)
03
Photo by Manny Becerra on Unsplash
NV · 565k metro
Reno takes third: $1,908 rent, outdoor score 71, and 201 pleasant days.
$1,908
median rent / month
201
pleasant days a year
71
OutdoorScore (0 to 100)
04
Photo by Saul Flores on Unsplash
UT · 1.3M metro
Salt Lake City pairs an outdoor score of 78 with 168 pleasant days and $1,608 rent. The Southwest formula beyond the big two.
$1,608
median rent / month
168
pleasant days a year
78
OutdoorScore (0 to 100)
05
Photo by Andrew Ling on Unsplash
AZ · 1.1M metro
Tucson earns its spot on access and sun: $1,444 median rent, outdoor score 66, 202 pleasant days.
$1,444
median rent / month
202
pleasant days a year
66
OutdoorScore (0 to 100)
06
Photo by Chase Charaba on Unsplash
UT · 658k metro
Ogden is the mid-list Southwest pick that holds up: $1,641 rent, outdoor score 80, 174 pleasant days.
$1,641
median rent / month
174
pleasant days a year
80
OutdoorScore (0 to 100)
07
Photo by Michael Beener on Unsplash
UT · 733k metro
Provo clears the bar with an outdoor score of 81, 171 pleasant days, and $1,743 median rent.
$1,743
median rent / month
171
pleasant days a year
81
OutdoorScore (0 to 100)
08
Photo by Nader Abushhab on Unsplash
AZ · 5.1M metro
Phoenix rounds out the Southwest: $1,739 median rent, outdoor score 66, 181 pleasant days.
$1,739
median rent / month
181
pleasant days a year
66
OutdoorScore (0 to 100)
We rank by 30% affordability, 25% weather, 25% parks, 15% things to do, and 5% walkability across Southwest states (AZ, NM, NV, UT).
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