Southern Nevada is still growing, but a new forecast suggests it will take longer than previously expected for the Las Vegas Valley to reach a major population milestone.

Fewer people are moving to the area and the "makeup" of the population is evolving, UNLV's Center for Business and Economic Research says.

UNLV’s Center for Business and Economic Research reported last year that the county would hit 3 million residents by 2045. It’s now estimated the county won’t reach that population figure until 2055, according to CBER’s 2026 Population Forecast report released Wednesday.

According to the UNLV Center for Business and Economic Research, 40% of all small businesses in the state of Nevada were created after the COVID-19 pandemic. Hispanic-owned, Black-owned, and Asian-owned small businesses were among the fastest-growing in Nevada from 2019 to 2022. Women-owned small businesses outpaced male-owned businesses by 17% during that same time period.

Tensions between the once-tight North American neighbors, sharing a 5,525-mile boundary, continue to rise with less than four months to go before the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections. The Nevada governor’s race is emerging as a piece of political collateral damage, with Gov. Joe Lombardo (R-NV) running for a second term against Nevada’s attorney general, Aaron Ford, the Democratic nominee.

Would-be Canadian visitors to Sin City won’t get a vote in Nevada’s gubernatorial election. But they could influence it in a profound way.

When billionaire Tilman Fertitta offered $17.6 billion to take Caesars Entertainment private, industry observers viewed it as a bold move by a longtime casino operator seeking control of one of gaming’s largest companies. Less than one week later, another billionaire made an even bigger bet.

Despite consumer sentiment at record lows, a UNLV economist projects a rebound in tourism in 2026 with two million more visitors to Las Vegas this year than last.