Nestled in the breathtaking Sonoran Desert, Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona. Part of the Greater Phoenix Area, Scottsdale is an affluent community that borders Phoenix, Tempe, and Paradise Valley. Scottsdale is one of the biggest art centers in the United States and is home to a plethora of art museums and galleries.  

What is the community of Scottsdale like?  

Ranked by Niche as the best place to retire in America, Scottsdale is known for its opulent spas and golf courses, breathtaking desert scenery, and a bewildering array of art galleries, parks, museums, wedding destinations, and restaurants. New York Times once described Scottdale as being “a desert version of Miami’s South Beach,” thanks to its myriad of exciting attractions.  
Located just 12 miles from Arizona’s major commercial, recreational, and economic hub – Phoenix – Scottsdale offers nearly endless opportunities for outdoor adventure. Spanning over 33,500 acres of pristine desert beauty, the Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve is a large, permanently protected, sustainable desert habitat in Scottsdale. Offering six hiking trails treading over 100 miles, the McDowell Sonoran Preserve is the largest urban park in the United States and is the gateway to the Sonoran Desert, featuring one of the most diverse environments on earth. 
Another major attraction in Scottsdale is the Butterfly Wonderland, which is nestled in the heart of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Home to thousands of butterflies from around the world, the facility plays home to a tropical rainforest, as well as several galleries and a theater that displays educational movies loved by kids and adults alike.  
In addition, Scottsdale is distinguished for its arts scene. Home to the highest concentrations of galleries, studios, and museums, Scottsdale is home to more than 125 professional art galleries and studios, one of the highest per-capita anywhere in the nation. Today, the city is considered to be a center for arts in the United States. The city has become one of the country’s largest art markets at par with New York City, Santa Fe, and New Mexico in terms of sales and revenue generated.  

What is Real Estate like in Scottsdale?     

Real estate in Scottsdale has shown an average growth of 4.36% per year since the year 2000. Since 2000, the prices of homes in Scottsdale have appreciated by a whopping 144.92%. National real estate firm, HomeSmart, categorizes Scottsdale’s housing market as ‘somewhat competitive’. The sale prices of homes in Scottsdale have experienced a staggering growth of more than 26% over the last year.   
The median home price in Scottsdale is $725,000. Currently, there are 2,272 active homes for sale in Scottsdale, and normally it takes just 41 days for a listed home to sell. The average cost to rent a house in Scottsdale is $2,143 per month. At present, there are 115,401 homes and apartments in the city, 65.8% of which are owned, and the remaining 34.2% are rented.     

How is the economic landscape of Scottsdale?    

Scottsdale's economy is primarily driven by the tourism industry, which accounts for 39% of the city’s workforce. In 2017 alone, Scottsdale attracted around 8.9 million visitors, providing an economic impact of over $2.4 billion. The city enjoys a premium rating for its hospitality scene, tied with Atlanta for fourth, after New York City, Las Vegas, and Chicago respectively, as having the most AAA Five-Diamond hotels and resorts in the United States. 
Over the last year, Scottsdale’s job market has grown by 3.3%, while its unemployment rate stands at a decent 4%. Also, the city’s job market is expected to grow by a staggering 51.2% in the next ten years. 
On average, a Scottsdale resident earns around $51,500 per annum, substantially higher than the US average of $28500. The city’s median household income of almost $72,455 per resident is also much greater than the US average of approximately $53000. Most of the residents of Scottsdale work in construction, manufacturing, retail, finance, professional and technical services, accommodation, and healthcare.    

How are the schools in Scottsdale?     

Scottsdale is covered by 9 school districts, with Scottsdale Unified District being the city’s major school district encompassing 35 schools and 24,866 enrolled students. Scottsdale also lies in proximity to many colleges including, among others, Scottsdale Community College, Paradise Valley Community College, and Gateway Community College.  
Scottsdale lies just 18 miles from one of America’s largest public universities – the Arizona State University. Founded in 1885, ASU presently has nearly 90,000 undergraduate and 20,000 post-graduate students across its five campuses and four regional learning centers throughout Arizona. The university's faculty of more than 4,700 scholars has included 5 Nobel laureates, 6 Pulitzer Prize winners, 4 MacArthur Fellows, and 19 National Academy of Sciences members.   

Scottsdale in a nutshell        

To sum up, Scottsdale is an affluent and vibrant community in one of Arizona’s most economically thriving metropolitan areas. The city plays home to a bewildering array of spas, restaurants, shops, galleries, schools, museums, and golf courses. Should you decide to move to Arizona, Scottsdale would make an ideal place to call home.