Scottsdale, Arizona
Cost of living, housing, income, commute, climate, and safety — compiled for relocators researching Scottsdale.
Key figures
Each metric shows how Scottsdale compares with the U.S. baseline (ACS/BLS nationals where available; catalog-city averages for crime, climate, and commute). Income, housing, population, and crime are for the incorporated city (city limits), not the broader metro/MSA — unemployment is county-level (BLS LAUS).
- Population
- 242,169City limits · not metro/MSA
- Median household income
- $107,372Incorporated place (ACS)37% above U.S. avgU.S. $78,538
- Housing cost index
- 188ACS home+rent vs U.S. (100 = avg)88% above U.S. avgU.S. 100
- Median home value
- $709,900City limits (ACS)134% above U.S. avgU.S. $303,400
- Median rent
- $1,910City limits (ACS)42% above U.S. avgU.S. $1,348
- Unemployment
- 4.1%County LAUS · not city-onlyNear U.S. avg (4.2 pts)U.S. 4.2 pts
- Avg commute
- 23 min8% below U.S. avgU.S. 25 min
- Walk Score
- 4011% below U.S. avgU.S. 45
- Violent crime rate
- 159.3annualized per 100k · citywide74% below U.S. avgU.S. 602.7
- Property crime rate
- 1957.7annualized per 100k · citywide37% below U.S. avgU.S. 3084.9
- Summer high
- 105°F18.0°F above U.S. avgU.S. 87°F
- Winter low
- 47°F13.0°F above U.S. avgU.S. 34°F
- Annual rainfall
- 7.2 in78% below U.S. avgU.S. 32.9 in
- Sunny days
- 33225% above U.S. avgU.S. 266
Compare Scottsdale with another city
About 242,169 people live in Scottsdale, AZ. Median household income is roughly $107,372, while the ACS housing-cost index sits near 188 — well above the national housing-cost baseline (100 ≈ U.S. average). Entry home prices around $709,900 still look attainable compared with coastal metros.
Scottsdale is compact enough that a single wrong neighborhood choice is easy to feel day to day — visit at commute hour before signing. Figures on this page are merged from Census ACS, BLS LAUS, FBI Crime Data Explorer, and NOAA Climate Normals — use them to compare Scottsdale with nearby alternatives before you relocate.
Desert heat and monsoon bursts define the outdoor calendar. Summer highs near 105°F make shade, pools, and strong A/C practical necessities. Plan on roughly 23 minutes each way for a typical commute; Walk Score is about 40. Unemployment recently ran near 4.1%, broadly in line with many large U.S. counties. Violent-offense rates near 159.3 per 100k compare favorably with many peer metros, though local blocks still differ.
Nearby & similar cities
Continue researching with these internal links — each page is a full data profile.
Sources
- Census / ACS: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 5-year (Scottsdale city, 1600000US0465000)
- BLS: BLS LAUS LAUCN040130000000003 (Maricopa County, May 2026)
- Crime: FBI CIUS Table 8 (2019) city offenses known to law enforcement — rates per 100k; CDE API unavailable at enrich time
- Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 Monthly Normals (USW00023183 PHOENIX SKY HARBOR INTL AP)
Last updated 2026-07-28