Homelessness and Addiction Statistics in Nevada

Nevada has the ninth-largest homeless population in the United States. The rates of addiction and consequent crime are also high due to homelessness in the state.

Let’s take a look at some key homelessness and addiction statistics in Nevada.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Security.org reports that 8,666 people were unhoused in Nevada in 2023, which means Nevada has the ninth-highest rate of homelessness in the United States.
• Nevada’s homelessness rate increased by 12% in 2023 compared to 2022. In Southern Nevada, the number of homeless families rose from 306 in 2021 to 512 in 2022.
• From 2020 to 2023, drug overdose deaths in Clark County, Nevada increased by 97%—rising from 73 deaths to 144. 
• In 2022, Nevada reported 1,003 drug overdose deaths, with 9.7% of residents using illegal drugs, which is above the national average.
• In Nevada, 38.9% of homeless individuals reported current alcohol or drug abuse, 44.7% reported having a mental illness, and 54.3% experienced depression. 
• Homelessness could cost Southern Nevada up to $1.1 billion annually within 20 years due to rising service demands and population growth. 

Homelessness Statistics in Nevada 

Homelessness statistics in Nevada include:

• The rate of homelessness in Nevada has increased by 12% in 2023 as compared to 2022. 
• Homelessness in Nevada was highest in 2009, with 41.8 homeless individuals per 10,000 people.
• In 2021, there were 306 people with children who were homeless in Southern Nevada. 

• In 2020, Nevada had 504 empty shelter beds for homeless individuals and families. 4,108 individuals and 41 families were sleeping outside across the state.
• The collective sum of homeless people in 2020 and 2021 in Southern Nevada was about 13,076.
• In 2018, Nevada had an estimated 7,544 people experiencing homelessness on any given day.

• 28% of homeless people in Nevada are experiencing chronic homelessness, meaning they have been homeless for the last 12 months or extended periods over the last three years.
• According to U.S. News, Las Vegas in Nevada ranks 11th in the top 25 U.S. cities with the largest homeless populations. 
• The highest number of unsheltered homeless individuals in Nevada was in the Las Vegas/Clark County area, with 3,461 people living without shelter.
• The top five causes of homelessness in Clark County, Nevada, were job loss/unemployment (56.2%), mental health issues (44.7%), illness/medical problems (40.5%), alcohol/drug abuse (38.9%), and being asked to leave a family or friend’s home.
• The following chart shows sheltered vs. unsheltered homeless persons in Nevada in 2018:

• Bitfocus’s 2018 report on the homeless revealed: 

1. 15.4% of survey respondents received $500 or less from private non-government income sources
2. 74.9% of respondents received more than $500 per month in government income benefits
3. 40.4% of survey respondents did not receive any money from government benefits
4. 95% of survey respondents did not receive any money from private non-government income sources
5. 1,133 individuals of the unsheltered population lived in cars/vans/RVs, abandoned buildings, encampments, and parks.
6. 67.3% of the respondents had at least one disabling condition
7. 37.9% of surveyed individuals had or ever had a physical disability
8. 3.8% of survey respondents were incarcerated immediately before becoming homeless and 11.1% cited incarceration as a top reason for their homelessness
9. 9.8% indicated their criminal record prevented them from securing permanent housing and 8.6% said it hindered their employment
10. 61.9% had spent no nights in jail or prison in the 12 months prior to the survey

Homelessness Statistics in Nevada by Demographics

Among Nevada’s homeless population in 2018, there were 167 family households, 723 veterans, 1,404 unaccompanied young adults (aged 18-24), and 648 individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.

Here are more statistics on Nevada’s homelessness by demographics:

Age

• As of 2023, 8% of the people who are experiencing homelessness in Nevada are under 18 according to Security.org.
• According to the Southern Nevada Homeless Census and Survey 2018, 63.9% of homeless persons were unsheltered, with the majority (30.2%) aged between 51 and 60 years.

Veterans

• In 2023, Nevada saw a 45% increase in the rate of veterans experiencing homelessness.
• Veterans constitute 13% of the total homeless population in Nevada.

Ethnicity

• White individuals were the largest racial group among the unsheltered homeless in Nevada in 2020. This included 2,216 in Las Vegas, 347 in Reno/Sparks/Washoe County, and 265 in the rest of the state.
• In 2020, Reno/Sparks/Washoe County had no available shelter beds, leaving 459 people to sleep outside. In contrast, Las Vegas/Clark County had 343 empty beds, yet 3,447 people slept outside.

Addiction Statistics in Nevada

In terms of substance abuse, Nevada ranks 34th among the 50 states. Here are some addiction statistics for the state:

• The 2010 Nevada Drug Control Update reports that 9.7% of the respondents said they used illegal drugs in the past month. This is slightly higher than the national average of 8.82%. 
• The 2010 Nevada Drug Control Update also reports that 4.7% of Nevadans used drugs other than marijuana, compared to the national average of 3.6%.
• The following chart shows the percentages of different substance use disorder types in Nevada in 2015-2016:

• According to The Recovery Village’s report, Nevada ranks:

1. 23rd for drug overdose cases
2. 17th for addiction treatment
3. 48th for drug misuse rate

• In 2022, 1003 drug overdose deaths were reported in Nevada. According to the CDC, the drug overdose death rate was about 29.2 per 100,000 residents.

Addiction Among Homeless People in Nevada

Homelessness in Nevada plays a role in drug addiction in the state. Here are some numbers:

• As per the Southern Nevada Homeless Census and Survey 2018, 38.9% of survey respondents reported current alcohol or drug abuse, and 20% reported co-occurring depression and substance abuse.
• Bitfocus’s 2018 homeless census & survey for Southern Nevada reported that 10% of survey respondents suffered from co-occurring PTSD and substance abuse and this was hindering their ability to find work or housing.

Costs of Homelessness & Addiction in Nevada

Here are some statistics on the cost of homelessness and addiction in Nevada:

• In 2019, Clark County spent approximately $26,000 per homeless person. It totaled to a sum of $369 million.
• Chronic homelessness, which increased by 19% from 2018, costs an estimated $73,000 per person annually.
• Up until 2014, Nevada was spending over $100,000 to remove homeless people from Las Vegas’s sewers. The cost rose to $117,000 in 2015.
• In 2010, excessive alcohol use cost Nevada taxpayers $2.296 billion. When adjusted for inflation, this translates to $3.100 billion or $2.01 per drink in 2022.
• By 2039, homelessness in Las Vegas is expected to cost $1.1 billion annually. Presently, the total cost across the community is approximately $369 million, projected to increase to $731 million by 2024, according to the Las Vegas City Council. 
• The percentage of homeless individuals reporting chronic health conditions increased from approximately 29.9% to 40.5% from 2017 to 2018.

Efforts to Combat Homelessness & Addiction in Nevada

Nevada’s efforts to combat homelessness and addiction are reflected by the following numbers:

• In 2022, the Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada shelter tried accommodating 314 men during summer and 488 men year-round, despite having funding for only 130 beds.
• The Clark County Commission increased the sales tax by one-eighth of a cent, expected to generate $54 million for homeless services and affordable housing projects.
• Government-led assistance programs for the homeless in 2018 and their extent of utilization are as follows: 

1. 55.9% of respondents used free meals as the most common service/assistance
2. 86.3% of survey respondents received some form of government benefits

FAQs

How Many Homeless People Are There in Nevada?

8,666 people were unhoused in Nevada in 2023, with Clark County having a total of 6,556 and Washoe County having a total of 1,690 unhoused people. In the same year, 410 people were unhoused in rural counties as per The Nevada Independent.

What Is Las Vegas Doing About Homelessness?

Las Vegas is implementing a multifaceted approach to address homelessness. It’s adopting initiatives like supportive housing programs, outreach services, and collaboration with community organizations to solve the problem.

Is Homelessness Illegal in Nevada?

Homelessness is not illegal in Nevada. However, activities associated with homelessness, like public camping, loitering, and drug addiction may be subject to local ordinances or regulations.

Data Sources

1. https://www.security.org/resources/homeless-statistics/ 
2. https://nevadacurrent.com/2022/08/03/southern-nevada-homeless-count-finds-more-people-on-the-streets/
3. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/slideshows/cities-with-the-largest-homeless-populations-in-the-u-s?slide=16
4. https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1026&context=bmw_lincy_demography#:~:text=1.,2.
5. https://dpbh.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/dpbh.nv.gov/content/Programs/ClinicalSAPTA/dta/Partners/1%20-%20CARE%20Coalition%20CCPP%20Report_Final_12.23.%202019.pdf
6. https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/military/las-vegas-has-homeless-veterans-covered/
7. https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/homelessness-statistics/state-of-homelessness-report/nevada/
8. https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/docs/state_profile-nevada.pdf 
9. https://cdclv.unlv.edu/healthnv_2017/addiction_17.pdf 
10. https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/resources/all-50-states-ranked-overdose-deaths-and-drug-use-across-america/#:~:text=Nevada%20faces%20challenges%20in%20addressing,a%20treatment%20rank%20of%2017. 
11. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/states/nevada/nv.htm 
12. https://helphopehome.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2018-SN-Homeless-Census-and-Survey.pdf 
13. https://nvbar.org/wp-content/uploads/NevadaLawyer_Dec2023_Homelessness-in-Nevada.pdf 
14. https://dpbh.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/dpbhnvgov/content/Boards/BOH/Meetings/2024/SNHD.pdf 
15. https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/annual-homeless-census-shows-increases-across-state-full-picture-incomplete
16. https://www.kff.org/statedata/mental-health-and-substance-use-state-fact-sheets/nevada/#:~:text=As%20shown%20in%20the%20figure,of%20adults%20in%20the%20U.S.