Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Scottsdale spent more per resident in 2022 than 70% of similar cities
Scottsdale’s city government spent $503.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,071 per resident. Water and other utilities ($75.9 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Scottsdale is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
1 upcoming meeting at town hall
From Scottsdale’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Dec1City CouncilTuesday · 5:00 pm · City HallCity Council Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov3City CouncilTuesday · 5:00 pm · City HallCity Council Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Oct6City CouncilTuesday · 5:00 pm · City HallCity Council Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Sep30City CouncilWednesday · 7:00 pmCity Council Regular Meeting TEST 3Meeting page ↗
- Sep1City CouncilTuesday · 5:00 pm · City HallCity Council Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗
- Aug4City CouncilTuesday · 5:00 pm · City HallCity Council Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $2,071 per resident a year, or $5.67 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 38%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,662 per resident in 2022: more than 70% of them
Scottsdale’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,662 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 47 Arizona cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,246, and the middle half spent $972–$1,696. Scottsdale spent more than 70% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($58.5 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Arizona cities that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Scottsdale itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 15% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Scottsdale reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,662 · 2023: $2,004 · 2024: $2,071. Per resident it went from $1,662 to $2,071 (up 25%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 262,647 to 243,050.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,903 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,956 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.37% of the home’s value, vs 0.48% across Arizona.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Scottsdale’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Scottsdale’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Scottsdale →
Who’s in charge in Scottsdale
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 116 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (243,050).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Phoenix Union High School District
Scottsdale’s high school district, shared with Paradise Valley, Phoenix. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,043 per pupil, $6,589 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Arizona districts overall: 35% local, 47% state, 18% federal.
Cave Creek Unified District · $10,334 per pupil
Scottsdale Unified District · $12,000 per pupil
Paradise Valley Unified District · $12,111 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Scottsdale’s votes are counted by county
Arizona reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Scottsdale alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Maricopa County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican51.0%1,051,531 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat47.5%980,016 votesOthers: 1.5% (30,497 votes).
Most votes in Maricopa County: Donald J Trump
100% of Scottsdale lies in Maricopa County. Every 2024 race in Maricopa County is on the county’s page.
Maricopa County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Scottsdale sends 6 representatives to the Arizona House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: scottsdaleaz.gov ↗
- 2Arizona HouseScottsdale is split between 3 districts
- 3Arizona SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Arizona
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Scottsdale compares with the towns next door
Scottsdale spent $1,662 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $785 to $2,041. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Fountain Hills | $785 | $2,424 |
| Phoenix | $1,114 | $1,850 |
| Carefree | $1,542 | $2,972 |
| Tempe | $1,999 | $2,175 |
| Paradise Valley | $2,041 | $10,000+ |
| Cave Creek | estimate | $2,443 |
| Scottsdale | $1,662 | $2,956 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Scottsdale’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Scottsdale’s government
How much does Scottsdale spend per resident?
About $2,071 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,662 was more than 70% of 47 Arizona cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Scottsdale?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,956 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.37% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across Arizona. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see scottsdaleaz.gov.
Who runs Scottsdale’s government?
See scottsdaleaz.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Scottsdale yet.
How did Scottsdale vote in 2024?
Arizona counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Scottsdale alone. Maricopa County, where 100% of Scottsdale lies, voted Trump 51.0%, Harris 47.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Scottsdale?
2,097 full-time and 307 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $17.8M (about $214.0M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Scottsdale in the state legislature?
Scottsdale is split among 3 State House districts and 3 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Arizona Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Scottsdale?
The next posted meeting is City Council on Tuesday, December 1, at 5:00 pm in City Hall, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Scottsdale’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →