Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A city of 243,006, settled in 1894.
Scottsdale is a city of 243,006, and it grades B overall, 24th of 139 graded towns in Arizona. Residents are healthier than 97% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and the median household earns $111K. The trade-offs: homes are expensive, about $852K for a typical one and 9.6 times the Phoenix metro’s $88K median household income, and FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 69% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. 62% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Scottsdale, against 24% in Arizona’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Only 16 of Arizona’s 204 towns score higher on walkability. McDowell Sonoran Preserve, at 32,695 acres with 265 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
Where Scottsdale beats most towns.
Where Scottsdale’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arizona), ordered by how far Scottsdale is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for health (better than 97% of comparable towns) to D for cost of living (better than 11%), so the B overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Taliesin West is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 1,047 in 1920, 241,361 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1937 and 3 maps from 1965 on.
11 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Scottsdale. Close and well known come first.
Big draw26 mi Stadium & arenaState Farm Stadium
20 mi Stadium & arenaMortgage Matchup Center
20 mi Stadium & arenaChase Field
18 mi Stadium & arenaMountain America Stadium
25 mi Stadium & arenaDesert Diamond Arena
13 mi MountainCamelback MountainState Farm Stadium: Taken by en:Flickr user MCSixth, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Mortgage Matchup Center: Troutfarm27, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Chase Field: U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tyler J. Bolken, Public domain · Mountain America Stadium: Clintus McGintus, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Desert Diamond Arena: Unknown, CC BY 2.0 · Camelback Mountain: Dru Bloomfield from Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, CC BY 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Scottsdale, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Scottsdale.
Scottsdale is among the three healthiest towns in Arizona, draws workers from Phoenix and beyond and has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns.
At 9.6 years of the Phoenix metro’s $88K median household income, the typical home (about $852K) costs more against local pay than in 96% of Arizona towns; that ratio is one input to that grade. Values rose 3.4% in the past year while the Arizona typical home fell 1%.
In Scottsdale, 67% of households are owner-occupiers. Values rose 3.4% in the 12 months to September 2026. The midpoint rent for Scottsdale comes to $2,013 a month.
| Scottsdale | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,013 a month | $1,190 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 76% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Of its 64 schools, three are listed below, each with the reason. Public schools: the Scottsdale Unified District. The 6 public schools in Scottsdale teach 3,762 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheyenne Traditional SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 953 | A+ |
| Desert Mountain High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,905 | A− |
| BASIS Scottsdale Primary - East CampusTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 489 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AZ on state tests and graduation
There are 442 miles of trail across 54 parks and preserves. In Scottsdale, the density of trails is 2.4 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves here: 54, covering 33,838 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. McDowell Sonoran Preserve | 265 mi | 32,695 |
| 2. Pinnacle Peak Park | 2.5 mi | 151 |
| 3. Scottsdale Civic Center Mall | 1.8 mi | 37 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
It ranks #3 of the 140 Arizona towns we grade on the CDC estimates behind the Health Grade. Its widest gap with Arizona is tooth loss: 6.5% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 14.7% statewide.
For adults 18 to 64 in Scottsdale, the share who have no health insurance is 6.3%. Only 3 of the 140 Arizona towns we compare have a lower share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Scottsdale. In Scottsdale, just over one in ten adults report frequent mental distress, and 15% get no exercise outside work. Against the Arizona average, Scottsdale comes out ahead on 24 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 1.
| Scottsdale | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 16% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 24% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7.4% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Scottsdale | AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.5% | 14.7% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.4% | 15.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.9% | 8.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
200,319 jobs are based in Scottsdale, 1.9 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here grew from 153,679 in 2013 to 200,319.
Among 140 Arizona towns, just 8 have a higher share of workers working from home than Scottsdale. In Scottsdale, about one in four working residents works in town. Since 2013, Scottsdale has added 46,640 jobs, to 200,319 in 2023. Also worth knowing: 7.3% of Scottsdale residents live below the poverty line.
| Scottsdale | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 31% | 12% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 28% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $111,000 | $68,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Flood insurance has paid out on 148 claims in Scottsdale since 1978. 63% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by heat waves at 31%.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 25.9 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 54% of Arizona’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 5,786 to 4,712 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Scottsdale’s property offense rate comes in at 17.3 per 1,000 residents. The violent offense rate in the town is 1.7 per 1,000 residents.
| Scottsdale | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 17.3 per 1,000 residents | 11 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The Fountain Hills weather station, 10 miles away, records that about 167 days a year reach 90°, more than in 99% of U.S. towns. January nights average 44.1°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 102.8°.
Its July high stands at 103°F. Snow is a rarity.
| Scottsdale | Arizona towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 103°F | 100°F | 85°F |
| January low | 44°F | 36°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
5 within 15 miles of the center of Scottsdale
About 4 of every 100 Scottsdale residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Arizona.
217,385 counted in 2010 and 241,361 in 2020; an estimated 243,006 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 11% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
11 places in Scottsdale on the National Register of Historic Places.
24 notable people were born in Scottsdale.
City in Arizona, United States
Scottsdale is a city in eastern Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and is part of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Named Scottsdale in 1894 after its founder Winfield Scott, a retired U.S. Army chaplain, the city was incorporated in 1951 with a population of 2,000. At the 2020 census, the population was 241,361, which had grown from 217,385 in 2010. Its slogan is "The West's Most Western Town". Over the past two decades, it has been one of the fastest growing cities and housing markets in the United States. Scottsdale is 31 miles (50 km) from its northern to southernmost edge and covers 184.5 square miles (478 km2). The city is bordered by the city of Phoenix to the west, Tonto National…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Scottsdale.
| Town | AZ rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottsdale | #24 | B | D | C | B+ | A+ |
| Phoenix | #65 | C+ | C | D | B+ | B+ |
| Carefree | #6 | A− | C− | — | A− | A |
| Fountain Hills | #19 | B+ | C− | — | B+ | A |
| Paradise Valley | #14 | B+ | D− | B+ | B+ | A+ |
| Tempe | #53 | B− | C− | D | B | A |
| Cave Creek | #13 | B+ | D | — | A− | A |
Carefree, Fountain Hills and Cave Creek report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Scottsdale with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Scottsdale grades B overall, better than 63% of U.S. towns and #24 of 139 in Arizona. It grades A+ for health, C for safety and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
24 notable people were born here, including Brady Corbet and Gabrielle Carteris.
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