Cost of living in Scottsdale research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Scottsdale is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Arizona, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Scottsdale is 128, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Scottsdale is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Scottsdale ranks as the #89 cheapest in Arizona out of 94.
Scottsdale ranks as the #5,183 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Scottsdale is $540,000.
The median income in Scottsdale is $97,409.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Scottsdale has an overall cost of living index of 128, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Arizona, Scottsdale has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than Arizona's index of 107.
The standard of living in Scottsdale ranks as #89 most affordable out of the 94 places we measured in Arizona. By definition, that implies Scottsdale ranks as the #5 most expensive place in the Grand Canyon State.
For more reading on life in Scottsdale, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Scottsdale. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Scottsdale is 98.
The Groceries index in Scottsdale is 98.
The Health index in Scottsdale is 91.
The Housing index in Scottsdale is 191.
The Transportation index in Scottsdale is 105.
The Utilities index in Scottsdale is 106.
Living Expense | Scottsdale | Arizona | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 128 | 107 | 100 | |
Services | 98 | 102 | 100 | |
Groceries | 98 | 101 | 100 | |
Health | 91 | 94 | 100 | |
Housing | 191 | 121 | 100 | |
Transportation | 105 | 105 | 100 | |
Utilities | 106 | 97 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Arizona, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Scottsdale is $540,000.
The Median Rent in Scottsdale is $1,578.
The Median Income in Scottsdale is $97,409.
The Home Value To Income in Scottsdale is 5.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Scottsdale is 0.19x.
Statistic | Scottsdale | Arizona | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $540,000 | $265,600 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,578 | $1,172 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $97,409 | $65,913 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 5.5x | 4.0x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.19x | 0.21x | 0.2x |
Item | Scottsdale | Arizona |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $0.99 | $1.06 |
Movie | $8.84 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $17.06 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $17.22 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $41.67 | $39.05 |
Item | Scottsdale | Arizona |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.91 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.68 | $1.39 |
Milk | $1.63 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.42 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $10.99 | $10.62 |
Beer | $9.58 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $1.53 | $2.34 |
Item | Scottsdale | Arizona |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $96.17 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $96.33 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $89.83 | $99.13 |
Item | Scottsdale | Arizona |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.49 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $45.83 | $50.07 |
Item | Scottsdale | Arizona |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $189.67 | $167.67 |
Phone | $178.49 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Scottsdale. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Phoenix, AZ has a cost of living index of 96, 0.8x Scottsdale.
Mesa, AZ has a cost of living index of 98, 0.8x Scottsdale.
Tempe, AZ has a cost of living index of 105, 0.8x Scottsdale.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Scottsdale |
---|---|---|---|
Phoenix, AZ | 1,591,119 | 96 | 0.8x |
Mesa, AZ | 497,752 | 98 | 0.8x |
Tempe, AZ | 178,862 | 105 | 0.8x |
Fountain Hills, AZ | 23,639 | 124 | 1.0x |
Anthem, AZ | 22,750 | 118 | 0.9x |
New River, AZ | 17,731 | 115 | 0.9x |
Paradise Valley, AZ | 12,666 | 238 | 1.9x |