The Town FilesScottsdale, Arizona
City in Maricopa County · population 241,361 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $789,800
- Household income
- $110,886
- Jan low / Jul high
- 43° / 99°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 9
- Median age
- 49.0
Scottsdale is a city of 241,361 people in Maricopa County, Arizona. The median home is worth $789,800, above the typical Arizona town ($248,600). It ranks better for young professionals than 99% of Arizona towns, more upscale than 97% of Arizona towns, more vibrant than 93% of Arizona towns.
How Scottsdale ranks
Percentile among Arizona towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Arizona towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Scottsdale is worth $789,800, above the typical Arizona town ($248,600). Homes cost about 7.1 times the median household income of $110,886, which is more affordable than 7% of Arizona towns. Median rent is $2,013 a month. 67.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Scottsdale | Typical Arizona town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $789,800 | $248,600 |
| Median rent | $2,013 | $1,050 |
| Median household income | $110,886 | $60,835 |
| Home value ÷ income | 7.1× | 4.0× |
| Homeownership | 67.0% | 78.6% |
| Median year built | 1991 | 1990 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 8.8% | — |
Who lives in Scottsdale
| People | Scottsdale | Typical Arizona town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.0 | 42.5 |
| Age 65 and over | 26.4% | 21.8% |
| Under 18 | 13.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 61.9% | 18.1% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.3% | 13.8% |
| Veterans | 5.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 11.4% | — |
| Work from home | 31.1% | 10.2% |
| Average commute | 21.6 min | 24.7 min |
| Homes with broadband | 96.2% | 88.0% |
Weather in Scottsdale
July highs average 99.4°F and January lows 43.0°F. About 11.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Arizona town: 0.2 in). Expect about 132 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 4 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Scottsdale since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Arizona town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on January 17, 1993 about 5.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on November 29, 2019.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 16 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on October 16, 2022.
Severe weather in Maricopa County since 1996
Maricopa County has been included in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| June 28, 2024 | Fire | FM-5501: Boulder View Fire |
| June 12, 2024 | Fire | FM-5496: Rose Fire |
| June 28, 2023 | Fire | FM-5466: Diamond Fire |
| June 27, 2020 | Fire | FM-5315: Avondale Fire |
| June 23, 2020 | Fire | FM-5314: Aquila Fire |
Jobs and pay in Maricopa County
Maricopa County had 2,280,645 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $73,840 a year. Unemployment was 3.4% in 2023; in Scottsdale itself the ACS puts it at 3.6%.
Public schools in Scottsdale
53 public schools with 29,557 students, about 19.8 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Mountain High School | 9-12 | 1,940 | 20.9 |
| Chaparral High School | 9-12 | 1,909 | 21.4 |
| Horizon High School | 7-12 | 1,863 | 24.5 |
| Cactus Shadows High School | 8-12 | 1,566 | 21.8 |
| Saguaro High School | 9-12 | 1,423 | 19.2 |
| Great Hearts Academies - Archway Scottsdale (charter) | K-12 | 1,072 | — |
| BASIS Scottsdale (charter) | 4-12 | 981 | — |
| Cheyenne Traditional School | PK-8 | 895 | 19.9 |
| Great Hearts Academies - Scottsdale Prep (charter) | 5-12 | 892 | — |
| Cocopah Middle School | 6-8 | 851 | 21.3 |
| Mohave Middle School | 6-8 | 798 | 6.5 |
| Desert Shadows Middle School | 6-8 | 734 | 21.0 |
Towns near Scottsdale
- Fountain Hills, AZ8.8 mi · 23,820 people · home $622,900
- Carefree, AZ10.1 mi · 3,690 people · home $1,088,100
- Paradise Valley, AZ10.8 mi · 12,658 people · home $2,000,001
- Cave Creek, AZ12.6 mi · 4,892 people · home $906,100
- Phoenix, AZ15.3 mi · 1,608,139 people · home $420,700
- New River, AZ18.8 mi · 17,290 people · home $640,600
- Anthem, AZ18.9 mi · 23,190 people · home $569,900
- Tempe, AZ20.8 mi · 180,587 people · home $455,400
Scottsdale questions
Is Scottsdale, Arizona a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Scottsdale scores better for retirees than 61% of Arizona towns and quieter than 20%. 26.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 49.0).
How much does a house cost in Scottsdale?
The median owner-occupied home in Scottsdale is valued at $789,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $110,886, so homes cost about 7.1 times income. Median rent is $2,013 a month.
What is the weather like in Scottsdale?
July highs average 99.4°F and January lows 43.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 11.6 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Scottsdale get tornadoes?
9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Scottsdale since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on January 17, 1993. The typical Arizona town has had 1.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)