Housing & affordability
18% of the score · 67/100
C+
Median home value$789,800
Phoenix $440,900
Median rent$2,013/mo
Phoenix $1,702/mo
Cost-burdened households32%
Phoenix 32%
Scottsdale
Maricopa County243,821 residents3 school districts
65
C+
Suburbgrade score
4th of 31 Phoenix suburbs. Strongest on commute & transport, held back by amenities.
65
Phoenix median 54
0 · F
A+ · 100
Launch-day rule. Residents is not counted for Scottsdale yet: no poll responses so far. The overall score of 65 is computed on the other six categories, re-normalised to 100%. Answer the poll →
What living here is actually like
Written summary in preparation This page is waiting for its written summary, and for a person to check it. Until then it is excluded from search engines.
What Scottsdale is like to live in, by category
Bars show Scottsdale against Phoenix. Weights are published in full.Schools
18% of the score · 72/100
B−
Within-state proficiency84th pct
Phoenix median 63rd pct
Student–teacher ratio15.9
Phoenix median 18.0
Graduation rate93%
Phoenix median 91%
Cost of living
14% of the score · 69/100
B−
Housing cost index130
Phoenix 100
Eff. tax rate0.36%
Phoenix 0.45%
Local sales tax8.52%
Phoenix median 8.52%
Commute & transport
14% of the score · 79/100
B+
Mean commute21.6 min
Phoenix 26.4 min
Under 30 minutes73%
Phoenix 61%
Transit stops / sq mi0.0
Phoenix median 0.0 · within 2 miles
Amenities
12% of the score · 34/100
F
Restaurants & cafés5
Phoenix median 6 · within 2 miles
Groceries2
Phoenix median 1 · within 2 miles
Parks9
Phoenix median 26 · within 2 miles
Employment & income
12% of the score · 64/100
C+
Median household income$110,886
Phoenix $88,301
Unemployment3.6%
Phoenix 4.7%
Professional occupations60%
Phoenix 43%
Residents
12% of the score · inactive
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No responses yet. Residents is excluded from the score until eight people answer.
Ask the people who live here
Twelve yes/no questions, one tap each. No dataset knows whether the yards are kept or whether anyone talks to their neighbours. Answers feed the Residents grade, which needs eight responses before it counts.
Nobody has answered for Scottsdale yet. If you live here, you can be the first.
Is it quiet at night?
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Do you feel safe walking after dark?
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Can you walk to a grocery store?
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Is it good for young children?
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Are yards and streets well kept?
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Tap either button to answer — no account neededAll twelve questions →
Better than Scottsdale on amenities
Scottsdale's weakest grade is F. Six suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same six inputs.
SuburbAmenitiesOverall
Tempe21 mi from ScottsdaleA+ 69 B− Mesa21 mi from ScottsdaleA 63 C+ Phoenix15 mi from ScottsdaleB 61 C Glendale22 mi from ScottsdaleB 58 C Sun City25 mi from ScottsdaleC 55 C− Anthem19 mi from ScottsdaleC− 63 C+ Restaurants & cafés: OpenStreetMap Sep 2026 · Groceries: OpenStreetMap Sep 2026
Common questions about living in Scottsdale
Is Scottsdale, AZ a good place to live?
Scottsdale scores 65 out of 100, 4th of 31 Phoenix suburbs. It is strongest on commute & transport and weakest on amenities. Every weight behind that score is published on the methodology page.
Is Scottsdale expensive to live in?
Cost of living grades B−. The median home is $789,800, 79% above the Phoenix median, and the effective property tax rate is 0.36%. $2,013/mo is the median gross rent.
How good are the schools in Scottsdale?
Schools grade B−. The districts serving Scottsdale sit at the 84th pct within-state proficiency percentile, with a 93% graduation rate and a 15.9 student–teacher ratio. Scottsdale is served by Scottsdale Unified District (4240), Cave Creek Unified District (4244) and Paradise Valley Unified District (4241). Proficiency is only ever compared inside the same state.
How long is the commute from Scottsdale?
The mean commute is 21.6 min, with 73% of workers travelling under 30 minutes and 31% working from home. Transit density is 0.0 stops per square mile.
Can you walk anywhere in Scottsdale?
Within two miles there are 2 groceries, 5 restaurants and cafés and 9 parks, which grades F on amenities.
Are the homes in Scottsdale old or new?
The median home in Scottsdale was built in 1991 — close to the Phoenix median of 1994. That is a median, so a town can be half post-war and half new-build and still land there. 64% of homes are houses rather than flats.
Every answer is built from the figures on this page, with their sources and as-of dates on the methodology page.