Located only 5 hours away from each other, Las Vegas and Los Angeles compete constantly. Their latest feud revolves around catering to the self-made celebrities from YouTube. So, in the battle of LA vs Las Vegas, who is currently drawing in more YouTubers?
Los Angeles
Thanks to huge YouTube groups like CloutGang and Team 10, LA is very well known for their YouTubers and the resources they’ve created to cater to the unique needs of those with social media empires. We’ve written before about why most YouTubers move to LA, but here are some other pros and cons of the City of Angels.
LA Pros
YouTube Space LA
YouTube Space LA is one of 10 spaces across the world where content creators are welcome and encouraged to gather, make use of provided resources, collaborate, and brainstorm the next big thing. The LA location includes green screen studios, sound stages, production staff, workshops, professional hair and makeup, and more. They cater to YouTube channels in good standing with a minimum of 10,000 subscribers (or 1,000 subscribers for registered non-profits). The best part? Everything is absolutely free, and they even provide training on how to use the space effectively.
Hollywood Resources
For those not as involved in the YouTube community, Hollywood is the first thing that comes to mind when LA is brought up. And for good reason, the neighborhood is iconic and packed with the best of the best in the entertainment industry. As many YouTubers are also actors, musicians, writers, comedians, or have production skillsets, being so close to the epicenter of American entertainment is highly desirable. Due to constantly changing algorithms and “adpocalypse” many YouTubers seek the opportunity to branch out and bring their YouTube skills and audiences with them as they dive into more traditional media and entertainment industries. Kate Upton and Bo Burnham are just two celebrities who launched their careers on YouTube.
Networking and Collaboration
Originally drawing a few popular YouTubers due to its entertainment connections, LA has snowballed into being the YouTuber capital of the world. Thanks to that, the city is flush with popular creators who are always only miles away from lucrative collaboration opportunities. Networking and collaboration is much easier when there are dozens of creators nearby.
YouTube Culture
Although the site is well known and popular all over the world at this point, YouTuber is still not seen as a viable career choice by many people. In LA the culture is much more open and understanding. YouTubers live and work there, events are constantly held, and being a YouTuber is as accepted as any other career. This gives creators a sense of stability and belonging which is difficult to find elsewhere.
LA Cons
Cost of Living
According to Expatistan, a website that compares living costs for major cities across the world, LA is the 25th most expensive city to live in in the world, and the 12th most expensive in the USA ranked out of hundreds of cities. 5 of the other top most expensive cities are also in California, as the state is a highly desirable location. The rent for a small apartment in a ‘normal’ area (as opposed to ‘expensive’) can be over $2,200.
Saturation
LA has always been the city of hopefuls. Hopeful actors, actresses, and models are now joined by hundreds of YouTubers. This causes oversaturation and can make it difficult to find opportunities and stand out from the crowd. Top YouTubers have their pick of talent and smaller channels are forced to claw their way forward just to get noticed. Competition is fierce, especially for more traditional jobs, as the pool of candidates isn’t just limited to YouTubers.
Natural Disasters and Crime
California is well known for its natural disasters. Wildfires, landslides, flooding, storms, and tsunamis are only a few of the threats to the state. FEMA.gov tracks Major Disaster Declarations on their website, and since 1953 California has declared 89 times. The highest in the US is Texas, with 96 Major Disaster Declarations. In LA specifically, the danger is compounded, as you don’t only have to deal with natural disaster, but rising crime as well. Violent crime is up 13.5% in the city, and the crimes per square mile are over 275, while the national average is only 31.9.
LA Famous Names
LA is well known for their YouTubers. CloutGang includes huge names like Ricegum, FaZe Banks, and Alissa Violet. Team 10, of course, has Jake and Logan Paul. The gaming community boasts huge names like Markiplier. iiSuperwomanii has her base in LA as well.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas Pros
Cheaper Cost of Living
Las Vegas has a much cheaper cost of living than LA. While LA is the 12th most expensive city in the US, Las Vegas is 42nd. A comparable apartment in Vegas is less than half the price, at only $1,078 rather than $2,200.
Different Creator Vibe
While Los Angeles is a pricey, sometimes bougie city, Las Vegas is cheaper and has a different environment. Although Vegas is known largely for its neon and casinos, there’s actually a large hiking and health community. There are many opportunities to explore the surrounding mountains.
Unique Content Opportunities
While LA has many lifestyle and entertainment daily vloggers, Vegas caters to a larger variety of channels. Sin City has many draws, including its iconic casinos, and channels that specialize in gambling find a perfect home base in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas Cons
No YouTube Space
Las Vegas is not as well known as LA for YouTubers, and as such YouTube pours many more resources into the city. While YouTube Space LA is only a 5-hour drive away, it’s still less accessible to those in Vegas than those in LA. Due to how close the two cities are it’s unlikely YouTube is even considering founding a Space in Las Vegas.
Smaller offline YouTube Community
Las Vegas is home to fewer YouTubers than LA, and those that do live there have said they have difficulty networking. Vegas YouTubers seem to keep to themselves more, producing more solo content than LA YouTubers. However, it’s always up to the YouTuber or the Network behind the YouTuber whether they are open to collaborating. Online tools like SidekickCollab and VlogFund can help make more collaborations come to live.
Las Vegas Famous Names
Las Vegas YouTubers are largely more specialized channels with smaller fanbases. The exception to this is Ryan Higa, aka nigahiga. He is one of, if not the, biggest YouTuber based out of Las Vegas. He sports 21 million subscribers on his comedy channel, which features short skits, vlogs, and challenge/prank videos. Andrew Neeme is another YouTuber whose home is in Vegas. His poker channel has garnered a respectable 92,000 subscribers.
When making the decision of LA vs Las Vegas there are many factors to consider, and only a few were discussed here. Both cities have benefits and drawbacks, and ultimately it comes down to the decision of the creator and their needs. Are you a YouTuber? Which would you pick? Let us know in the comments down below.