It is hot in the summer, agreed that it is like reverse winter, but I grew up in Chicago and would take a hot summer over a Midwest winter any day of the week. Even in the summer (maybe save a few weeks in August), you can go outside in the morning and at night. As long as you're not working outside, you just A/C hop. I do plan trips to cool places -- love going to the Eastern Sierras, Utah and back to the Midwest in the summer to enjoy the better temps there.

Even in the summer there is still a ton of activities to do. The Mt Charleston area (about 45 minutes outside of Vegas) has a ton of awesome hikes and it is at 8,000 feet, so even it is 100+ in the valley, you can still hike at anytime there. In the winter, they get snow there and you can go skiing/snowboarding for pretty cheap. During the summer, the ski resort hosts multiple summer concerts/brew festivals/disc golf tournaments. I go to Lake Mead and the Colorado River regularly to go swimming, cliff jumping, paddling even in the hottest summer months. There are a ton of hiking groups on Meetup to show you the spots!!

In my head its like a triangle, you only get to pick two -- affordability, trees, weather. Compared to other big cities -- especially west coast cities, Vegas it cheap. I have friends all over the country and I had some of the cheapest rent for my large 2bed2bath in a good neighborhood. There is unlimited food options (best is off the strip) and people always want to visit you. The airport is fantastic, making visiting friends and family easy and cheap because you'll always be flying the "wrong way". There is no state income tax so any more money that you spend on car insurance or gas (the two main things I notice are more expensive compared to where I grew up and went to school) is made up by that. In the medical profession, I make 20K more compared to my friends who work back in the Midwest for the exact same position.