PCS To Nellis Air Force Base : A Las Vegas Military Relocation Guide
PCS orders to Nellis Air Force Base or Creech Air Force Base bring you to Southern Nevada, where the Las Vegas Valley combines a major military presence with a full residential ecosystem in its suburbs.
This Las Vegas military relocation guide covers what matters most for a military move such as base proximity, housing near post, schools, and the support network already here for service members and their families.
Military families arriving in Las Vegas are often making many of the same decisions that come with any PCS move, but every duty station has its own housing market, commute patterns, neighborhoods, schools, and local considerations to learn.
If Las Vegas is not your first PCS, you already know how much those details can change from one assignment to another. For families researching military moves beyond Southern Nevada, our San Antonio Military Relocation Guide provides similar relocation information for service members and families PCSing to the Joint Base San Antonio area.
Living Near Nellis AFB
Nellis sits on the northeast edge of the valley, in North Las Vegas. It’s home to the Air Force Warfare Center, the Weapons School, the Thunderbirds, and the well known Red Flag combat training exercises held throughout the year.
Families who want the shortest commute typically look here first, though many service members choose to live farther out in Summerlin or Henderson, and accept a longer drive in exchange for newer housing stock and highly rated schools.
Where you choose to live can make a substantial difference in the PCS experience, particularly when it comes to commute time and access to the rest of the valley. The communities surrounding Nellis range from neighborhoods very close to the installation, to residential areas farther west and south, giving incoming personnel considerably different options depending on their priorities.
For families comparing neighborhoods, it can be helpful to look beyond mileage alone. The route to the base, typical duty hours, school location, access to shopping and services, and where a spouse may be working can all influence whether a shorter commute or a different part of the valley makes the most sense.
Las Vegas covers a large geographic area, so a neighborhood that looks relatively close on a map can create a very different daily routine than another location only several miles away.
Nellis also has a significant operational presence, so military activity is part of life in the surrounding area. Aircraft operations and training are much more noticeable in some nearby neighborhoods than in communities farther from the installation.
For incoming families who have flexibility in where they live, spending some time exploring different parts of the valley before committing to a neighborhood can help balance proximity to the base with the type of community and lifestyle they want outside of work.
Creech AFB and Indian Springs
Creech Air Force Base sits roughly 35 to 40 miles northwest of the valley near the small community of Indian Springs, about a 30 to 45 minute drive from the Centennial Hills area on US 95 North depending on traffic. Creech is a major center of the Air Force’s remotely piloted aircraft operations, including MQ-9 Reaper missions.
Since Indian Springs itself has very limited housing, most personnel assigned to Creech live in North Las Vegas or the northwest valley and commute out to base.
Nellis Air Force Base: Housing and BAH
Las Vegas offers a wide range of rental and purchase options across every BAH bracket. On base family housing availability at Nellis can vary by family size and demand, so incoming families should also research off base housing options when planning their move.
One thing worth factoring into your budget either way is that Nevada has no state income tax, which stretches military pay a bit further than it would in many other states.
Local Support for Military Families
The Military and Family Readiness Center at Nellis Air Force Base offers relocation assistance, a lending closet with kitchen items and household goods while you wait for your shipment to arrive. It also offers spouse employment assistance, and support through the Exceptional Family Member Program.
Incoming families can also attend a newcomers orientation for an overview of the base and the surrounding community. Between those programs, spouse networks, and a sizable local veteran community, new arrivals typically find their footing faster than they expect.