Where UNLV Students Live Off Campus, and What It Costs

Where UNLV students live off campus is mostly within about a mile of the Maryland Parkway campus. The two main pockets are the blocks off Maryland Parkway and Cottage Grove, where one-bedrooms list from about $895, and the complexes on University Center Drive and Paradise Road west of Swenson Street, where they list from $535 and typically run near $1,000. Drive east toward Flamingo and Nellis and one-bedrooms don't get cheaper; they start around $1,050. Compare every building on the off-campus housing near UNLV page.

Key Takeaways

• The Maryland Parkway edge is closest: Avenue 965 shows 0.2 miles and about a 9-minute walk on FMP's commute widget.
• University Center Drive and Paradise Road, west of Swenson Street, is the cheapest walkable strip. Harmon at 370 lists from $535 and Mezzo from $749.
• Going east doesn't save money. One-bedrooms at Solis at Flamingo, Vue 5325 and Summit on Nellis start between $1,052 and $1,081, which is higher than most of the Paradise Road complexes a mile from campus.
• Want a per-bed share? The Retreat's 4x4 plans list at $774 to $804 and Campus Crossing's 3-bedrooms start at $629, and in both cases the rent drops as bedrooms go up (a per-bed pattern).
• On campus, a South double costs $3,313 a semester for 2026-27, plus a required meal plan starting at $2,581.
• RTC's new Red Line (formerly Route 109) passes campus on Maryland Parkway every 12 minutes.

Where UNLV Students Live Off Campus: The Short Map

Off-campus housing near UNLV falls into six pockets, and five of them sit within 1.5 miles of campus. The campus is a rectangle. Flamingo Road runs along the north, Tropicana Avenue along the south, Maryland Parkway on the east and Swenson Street on the west.

FMP links 68 properties to UNLV. Twenty-nine sit within 1.5 miles and 49 within five, and here's how the main areas compare. I used the distances shown in each property's commute widget, measured from the center of campus.

Area	Distance to campus	One-bedrooms list from	Typical 1BR listing
Maryland Parkway / Cottage Grove edge	0.2 to 0.6 mi	$895	about $1,180
University Center Dr / Paradise Rd (west)	0.5 to 1.1 mi	$535	about $1,000
East of Maryland (Spencer, Bruce, Katie)	0.9 to 1.1 mi	$1,025	about $1,140
South of Tropicana	0.8 to 1.3 mi	$625	about $1,075
North toward Desert Inn / Sierra Vista	1.3 to 1.5 mi	$750	about $1,200
East and southeast valley (Flamingo, Tropicana, Nellis)	2.2 to 4.7 mi	$1,052	about $1,190

"Typical" is the median of every one-bedroom floor plan FMP lists in that area, pulled in September 2026. One-bedrooms are the fairest way to compare areas because they're priced as whole units at every complex.

The Maryland Parkway Edge: Closest to Class, Not the Cheapest

This is the zone for walking to class in under 15 minutes: Cottage Grove Avenue, East Harmon, University Avenue and Maryland Parkway itself.

• Avenue 965 on Cottage Grove: 0.2 mi, about 9 minutes on foot, lists from $914/mo.
• The Commons at Seven Palms on East Harmon: 0.2 mi, lists from $895/mo.
• The Degree at 4259 S Maryland Pkwy: 0.3 mi. Private rooms in its 4x4 plan list at $960.
• The Marq at 1600 on University Avenue: 0.6 mi, where one-bedrooms list from $999 and two-bedrooms from $1,443.

The catch is price. The median one-bedroom here lands near $1,180, and at The yoU (4700 S Maryland Pkwy) one-bedrooms start at $1,530. You're paying for the walk. Ratings also swing hard within a single block, with Avenue 965 at 5.0 and The Degree at 1.2 on FMP, so pull up the reviews before you tour.

University Center Drive and Paradise Road: The Budget Walk

West of Swenson Street sits the best value near UNLV, in complexes that are still 17 to 29 minutes from campus on foot. University Center Drive runs north to south here, parallel to campus, and Paradise Road is one block further west.

• Harmon at 370: 0.9 mi, one-bedrooms from $535.
• Mezzo on University Center Drive: 0.9 mi, from $749.
• Tides at North Paradise: 1.1 mi, from $769.
• University Gardens: 0.7 mi, from $825.

Not everything here is cheap. Ainsley at The Collective and High Line at Hughes Center push one-bedrooms past $1,375, and both sit up by the Hughes Center office park. Still, the median one-bedroom in this area comes in near $1,000, roughly $180 below the Maryland Parkway edge. That's about $2,160 a year for a slightly longer walk.

East of Maryland Parkway: Where the Per-Bed Shares Are

If you're splitting a place three or four ways, the streets east of Maryland Parkway (Spencer, Bruce, Katie and Rochelle) are the first place to look. Most of these complexes sit 0.9 to 1.1 miles out.

The Retreat on Spencer Street shows the pattern clearly. Its one-bedrooms start at $1,092, its 3x3 plans at $929 and its 4x4 plans at $774. When rent falls as bedrooms rise, you're looking at per-bed pricing, so a 4x4 there works out to roughly $774 to $804 per person. Campus Crossing on Living Desert Drive, 0.4 mi from campus, follows the same curve, with 3-bedroom plans starting at $629.

For comparison, FMP's UNLV page puts typical shared rooms along the Swenson and Maryland corridor at $900 to $1,200 a month. So a per-bed 4x4 on the east side is one of the few ways to get under that range without leaving walking distance.

The East and Southeast Valley: Where UNLV Students Live Off Campus With a Car

If you have a car, the east and southeast valley opens up, 2 to 5 miles out. You'll get more room to park. You won't get lower rent.

• Solis at Flamingo: 2.2 mi, about 9 minutes by car, one-bedrooms from $1,067.
• Vue 5325 on East Tropicana: 4.7 mi, about 16 minutes, from $1,081.
• Summit on Nellis: 4.7 mi, from $1,052.

That's the surprise in the data. The median one-bedroom out here is about $1,190, which is higher than the Paradise Road strip a mile from campus. Add gas and a UNLV parking permit, and the drive costs you money.

What about Henderson?

Henderson sits 15 to 20 minutes southeast of campus, and FMP's UNLV page estimates rents there at $800 to $1,050. Browse the Henderson listings, then price in a daily drive before you sign.

How to Pick Where to Live Off Campus Near UNLV

No car? Stay inside the Maryland Parkway edge or the University Center Drive strip. The west side costs less. If you'd rather ride, RTC's Red Line runs dedicated bus lanes down Maryland Parkway.

Splitting with friends? Price out a 4x4 at The Retreat or a 3-bedroom at Campus Crossing, then compare the per-person number against a South double on UNLV's housing cost page. That double runs $3,313 a semester before the meal plan.

Driving anyway? Pick the building you like, not the ZIP code, because East Las Vegas isn't discounting one-bedrooms. For specific buildings, our best apartments near UNLV roundup goes property by property. And ask about summer power bills before you sign. July A/C in Vegas isn't cheap.

Frequently Asked Questions About Where UNLV Students Live Off Campus

What is the closest off-campus housing to UNLV?

Avenue 965 on Cottage Grove Avenue and The Commons at Seven Palms on East Harmon both show 0.2 miles on FMP's commute widget, which works out to about a 9- to 10-minute walk. The Degree on Maryland Parkway is next at 0.3 miles.

How much does it cost to live off campus near UNLV?

$535 is the lowest one-bedroom starting price in FMP's UNLV set (Harmon at 370). Within a mile of campus, the middle half of one-bedroom listings runs about $850 to $1,250, and the median is roughly $1,095. Per-bed 4x4 shares at The Retreat list around $774 to $804 per person.

Is it cheaper to live in East Las Vegas than near UNLV?

Not on FMP's listings. One-bedrooms in the east and southeast valley start around $1,050, with a median near $1,190. That's more than the Paradise Road complexes a mile from campus, and gas and parking come on top. For Henderson, FMP's UNLV page estimates $800 to $1,050 a month.

Can you live near UNLV without a car?

Yes, within about a mile. The Maryland Parkway edge and University Center Drive are both walkable, and the Red Line runs every 12 minutes. Past 1.5 miles, plan on driving.

Do UNLV freshmen have to live on campus?

Some do. UNLV's first-year housing policy requires incoming freshmen taking six or more credits to live on campus if their high school is outside Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Boulder City or Pahrump. Local grads, and students living with a parent in one of those cities, can live off campus. Residence hall students also need a meal plan, which starts at $2,581 a semester for 2026-27.