Nevada gets a lot of grief, mostly by people who don’t live in the state and don’t understand much about it. Nevadans are known for being an independent-thinking lot who like what our state has to offer. So if you’ve decided to think about moving to Nevada but are worried about all the naysayers, here are 15 reasons why you absolutely should not move here.

1. You can only get a job working in a casino or a hotel.
Uncle Kick-Kick (Patrick Huber) (Round Mountain gold mine Uploaded by PDTillman) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Obviously tourism and gaming are a big deal in Nevada, but there are many successful industries here. Manufacturing, logistics, and aerospace are also big fields in NV, and mining, contrary to some's beliefs, is still a very active and vital part of Nevada's economy. Nevada is one of the largest producers of gold in the world. Construction and tech are other industries on the rise.
2. There are only two places to live in Nevada - Reno and Las Vegas.
Ken Lund/Flickr
Reno and Las Vegas are two of Nevada's largest cities but there are many other large cities, such as Henderson, Sparks, and Carson City. And if you love medium to small town living, Nevada is rich with places like Elko, Mesquite, Boulder City, Virginia City, Gardnerville, Fernley, Fallon, Winnemucca, Ely, Caliente, Lovelock, Wells, Yerington....and we could go on and on.
3. Everyone who lives in Nevada gambles.
mizmareck/Flickr
Gambling is a big part of our economy, but, a huge percentage of gamblers in casinos are tourists, ahem...
4. Everyone will think you will become an alcoholic.
Thomas Hawk/Flickr
Leaving Las Vegas is a movie and no, Nicholas Cage's character is not our role model, thank you!
5. Prostitution is everywhere.
Bill Walsh/Flickr
True, we're the only state in the U.S. where prostitution is legal, but it is heavily regulated and restricted to certain rural counties.
6. Nevada, with all those casinos and lights, is just too tacky and garish.
Bureau of Land Management/Flickr
Yes, all those lights in the sky are just awful! It's not like Nevada has been rated a state with some of the darkest skies in the U.S. and one of our cities, Tonopah, was voted the #1 spot for stargazing by USA Today.
7. The heat will fry you to a crisp in no time.
1050s Unlimited/Flickr
Yes, all that dry desert heat when you're sitting by the pool is just terrible. And you definitely don't want to live in parts of the state where you can be comfortable in just a sweatshirt outside in the winter.
8. There's no seasons at all here, you'll miss the trees changing color.
jslone6672/Flickr
Nope, nothing here but heat and sun and dirt.

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9. You'll really miss seeing snow and doing fun things like skiing.
Kris Arnold/Flickr
Definitely no snow here at all. Can't imagine why the state was named after the word for "snowy" in Spanish.
10 It’s just empty barren desert.
Don Burkett/Flickr
This is true, there is nothing in the desert. No vegetation, no wildlife, no colors. Just brown dry dirt.
11. There’s no culture there at all.
Kimberly Reinhart/Flickr
Right, we definitely have no concerts, symphonies, art galleries, museums, national cowboy poetry festivals, massive performing arts centers, etc.
10. Isn't Area 51 there? You’ll be abducted by aliens.
Retinafunk/Flickr
Yes, unfortunately this rumor is true. Happens every day. Really.
11. There’s no water in the state at all.
Patrick Nouhailler/Flickr
We definitely are not home to the largest alpine lake in the U.S. and the second deepest lake in the U.S. Or one of the largest underground rivers in the world. And the Hoover Dam was built to hold back but a wee trickle of water.
12. Those wide open spaces are just sad and empty.
Ken Lund/Flickr
There's definitely nothing inspiring and peaceful about standing out under a tremendously large sky and seeing around you for miles.
13. There's no o grass or trees in Nevada, you'll miss the forests.
Nalini Prasanna/Flickr
Funny, we thought our Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is the largest U.S. forest outside of Alaska. And we couldn't possibly be home to the Bristlecone Pine, one of the oldest organisms on earth.
14. You will become fanatical about state pride (and the correct pronunciation of Nevada.)
Mitch Lorens/Flickr
True, we are one of the very few states that has an official state holiday we celebrate each year to commemorate our statehood. But it's MUCH better living in a state without the extra holiday or interest in our history.
15. Isn't the state just a big nuclear waste dump?
Fred Moore/Flickr
We can't deny sections of the state were used for nuclear testing and research. However, we haven't noticed any giant mutated insects trampling our cities or citizens turning green and growing superpowers from radiation exposure, so we're all good here.

What do other Nevadans think? What are the reasons you would (or wouldn’t) suggest someone move here? Share in the comments!

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