Nevada Zombie Survival Index: 70/100

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The three tests

Nevada scored three times

A state that handles shamblers can get erased by sprinters. Here is how Nevada performs under each outbreak model.

Walking DeadThe Walking Dead

78

Slow zombies reward distance, food, freshwater and terrain. Nevada has about 3,282,188 people and 5.9 million acres in farm operations, plus 420,000 cattle and calves and roughly 1.28 million tons of hay. Against walkers the resource base matters because survivors have the time to exploit it.

World War ZWorld War Z

74

Fast zombies turn geography into a race, and Nevada does well here. Exceptional empty land, mountain-basin terrain and huge distances mean outbreak pressure drops away almost immediately outside Las Vegas and Reno.

Last of UsThe Last of Us

58

Yes, we know they're not technically zombies. This asks whether a settlement can function after the modern supply network fails, and Nevada falls to 58. The state scores 3 out of 10 on freshwater — every Nevada survival plan eventually becomes a water plan.

What helps

Mountain ranges, basins, desert, high plateaus and huge empty distances
Groundwater basins, the Colorado River system, reservoirs and limited mountain snowpack; dependable local supply is the central constraint
5.9 million acres in farm operations
420,000 cattle and calves
840 million pounds of milk and about 1.28 million tons of hay in 2025, with limited irrigated crop production
A resource mix centred on natural gas with strong utility-scale and distributed solar plus geothermal potential
Nellis Air Force Base, Creech Air Force Base, Naval Air Station Fallon and Nevada National Guard forces

What hurts

Water scarcity as the state's defining weakness, scoring 3 out of 10
Drought, extreme heat, wildfire, flash flooding, winter storms at elevation and long-term water stress
Las Vegas holds a huge share of the state's population in one desert metro
Remote safety can mean thinner medicine and longer repair distances

Exit the Las Vegas basin early and choose a smaller northern agricultural community with a proven, sustainable local water supply, winter access and multiple road options.

Personal assessment

Your state has a score. Do you?

Take the readiness assessment and get your own Zombie Survival Index score!

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The reason for the score

Nevada's zombie superpowers

Mountain ranges, basins, desert, high plateaus and huge empty distances determine movement, observation, evacuation and settlement options. The best refuge is not simply remote — it needs terrain plus water plus food plus energy plus access.

1 · Empty space

Outside Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada offers huge distances and low population pressure — a perfect 10 on remote land.

2 · Mountain-basin terrain

Nevada is full of parallel ranges and isolated valleys that channel movement effectively.

3 · Solar

Few states have a better distributed-solar resource, and geothermal adds to it.

4 · Military aviation depth

Nellis, Creech and Fallon add major organised-response capability.

The catch

Every plan becomes a water plan

Water

Every Nevada survival plan eventually becomes a water plan. It is the lowest freshwater score in the project so far.

Las Vegas concentration

A very large share of the population is concentrated in one desert metro.

Extreme heat

Grid failure in southern Nevada turns cooling and water into immediate life-support issues.

The framework

25 survival factors, scored 1–10

Every state is measured on the same 25 factors. Weighting shifts by scenario — terrain matters more against sprinters, agriculture matters more in a long collapse.

01 Population density Low statewide density 8/10

02 Major city exposure Las Vegas holds a huge share of the population 3/10

03 Road escape capacity Good long-distance highways, sparse local alternatives 8/10

04 Freshwater availability Water is the state's defining weakness 3/10

05 Agricultural capacity 5.9 million farm acres, mostly ranching and hay 5/10

06 Food self-sufficiency Limited crop diversity and scale 5/10

07 Wilderness & remote land Exceptional empty and remote land 10/10

08 Natural defensive terrain Mountain basins offer excellent defensive terrain 9/10

09 Climate survivability Heat is severe in low desert 4/10

10 Winter zombie suppression Useful winter cold in northern and high areas 5/10

11 Natural disaster risk Drought, heat, wildfire and flash-flood risk 5/10

12 Energy production Strong generation system 7/10

13 Off-grid energy potential Elite solar and geothermal potential 10/10

14 Medical resources Good metro medicine, very sparse rural access 8/10

15 Military & Guard presence Major Air Force and Navy presence 9/10

16 Emergency management Strong wildfire and all-hazards capability 8/10

17 Supply & logistics Good interstate and logistics corridors 8/10

18 Infrastructure vulnerability Water and long-distance systems are fragile 5/10

19 Survival resource availability Solar, minerals, ranching and some agriculture 6/10

20 Evacuation & refuge potential Huge refuge potential if water is solved 9/10

21 Natural barriers & water access Mountains create barriers; water access is weak 5/10

22 Distance from population centers Large areas far from metros 9/10

23 Chokepoint & bridge dependency Some valleys and passes funnel movement 8/10

24 Hunting, fishing & foraging Limited fishing, useful hunting in some regions 6/10

25 Long-term settlement potential Long-term potential is water-limited 5/10

Tactics

What works, by scenario

Strategy	Walking Dead	World War Z	Last of Us
Rural farm or ranch with independent water	Excellent	Very good if reached early	Excellent
Small agricultural town	Very good	Good	Excellent
Remote site with no food system	Good early	Very good for isolation	Poor long-term
Major highway evacuation	Good early, bad late	Terrible late	Poor after collapse
Major metro shelter	Poor	Terrible	Poor
Distributed renewable power	Very good	Good	Excellent
Hunting and fishing supplement	Very good	Good	Very good
One-road refuge	Risky	Risky	Risky

Geography

Where to be

Best overall

Rural northern agricultural valleys

Cooler climate, ranching and better local water prospects than the Las Vegas basin.

Verified year-round water first
Cooler northern climate
Ranching and hay operations
Multiple road options

Runner-up

High-elevation central Nevada small towns

Excellent isolation and terrain, weaker logistics.

Third

Reno hinterland away from the urban core

Better water and climate, but regional population exposure is higher.

Where not to be

Avoid early

Las Vegas Valley

Population concentration, heat and water dependence stack badly.

Avoid

Remote desert site without a proven well

A map is not hydration.

Avoid

One-pass mountain refuge

Isolation becomes a trap when the pass closes.

Verdict

70 out of 100 · Grade C− · Rank #41

Nevada is easy to defend and difficult to sustain. Mountains, desert, open space, solar potential, military assets, and a population concentrated mainly around Las Vegas and Reno create large refuge areas with excellent visibility. The catch is extreme water scarcity, brutal heat, limited agriculture, wildfire, and dependence on complex power and water systems. Las Vegas would become dangerous quickly, and remote communities would need secure wells and supplies before infrastructure failed.

Walking Dead 78. World War Z 74. Last of Us 58.

Exit the Las Vegas basin early and choose a smaller northern agricultural community with a proven, sustainable local water supply, winter access and multiple road options.

See the national survey board

Method & sources

Where the numbers come from

The Zombie Survival Index is a fictional entertainment ranking that uses real public data as its inputs. Every state is scored on the same 25 factors under three outbreak models, and the overall number blends those results. All fifty states have been assessed and normalised against the same national scoring set.

U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Population Estimates and QuickFacts
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2025 State Agriculture Overview
U.S. Energy Information Administration, State Electricity Profile
State water-resource and environmental agencies
State emergency-management agencies
U.S. Department of Defense and National Guard installation sources
State wildlife, hunting and fishing agencies
NOAA and state climatology and hazard sources