Las Vegas looks to attract Bay Area tech workers with lack of state income tax, more affordable housing

The city’s campaign points to 300+ sunny days in Sin City, a lack of state income tax, affordable housing and more

Ryan Smith, the Business Development Manager for the city’s Department of Economic and Urban Development detailed the strategy.

“When we’re trying to attract different, new types of companies, they look at ‘what’s your workforce like,’ and getting these people to Vegas is extremely important for us,” Smith shared.

He said the City of Las Vegas has launched digital marketing ads to the Bay Area and Seattle. They’re also implementing a strategic LinkedIn outreach campaign to tech workers at specific companies.

“We’re trying to take advantage of the opportunity for remote workers to work anywhere,” Smith told ABC7 News. “We’re really targeting technology. Las Vegas lags the United States in the number of technology workers in the city. So, we’re trying to bridge that gap and get those people to move to Las Vegas.”

“If we’re able to get technology workers, Las Vegas will have a better chance at landing some of the bigger or different technology companies as well,” he added.

Smith said pre-pandemic, Las Vegas was already seeing a wave of new residents from the Golden State. He believes the pandemic has accelerated the appetite to move.

“The homes that you can get in Las Vegas and other markets, compared to what you can get in California is astronomically different,” he said. “So from a quality of life perspective, I think Vegas has a competitive advantage.”

Smith also pointed to accessibility. He explained, a 50-minute flight separates Las Vegas from San Francisco.

“I think a lot of the tech companies have said working post-pandemic is going to be different,” he shared. “Maybe it’s not completely remote work. Some companies haven’t announced permanent remote work, but I think that being able to fly back to San Fran or Silicon Valley, or Seattle easily from Vegas is also compelling.” Read more via abc7news