State
County
Land Area
184.0 sq mi
Density
1,441.7/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
1.37%
Growth Since 2010
22.02%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
Metro Population
5,146,190
Scottsdale is a city located in Arizona. With a 2020 population of 265,249, it is the 5th largest city in Arizona (after , , , and ) and the 82nd largest city in the United States. Scottsdale is currently growing at a rate of 1.37% annually and its population has increased by 22.02% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 217,385 in 2010. Scottsdale reached it's highest population of 265,249 in 2021. Spanning over 184 miles, Scottsdale has a population density of 1,442 people per square mile.
The average household income in Scottsdale is $132,835 with a poverty rate of 7.62%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $1,365 per month, and the median house value is $475,300. The median age in Scottsdale is 47.7 years, 45.7 years for males, and 49.4 years for females. For every 100 females there are 97.2 males.
Scottsdale is a city located in the state of Arizona. It is located in Maricopa County and is known as “The West’s Most Western Town.” Scottsdale was only incorporated as a city in 1951 and since that time has seen substantial growth. The city is known for its thriving nightlife and social scene, once compared to Miami’s South Beach area.
Scottsdale is a religiously diverse city, even though most of the residents practice Christian faiths. However, as the population continues to grow, so do the different observed religions. There are many different religious communities located within the city, including but not limited to Jewish, Hindy, Buddhist, and Sikh.
Most of the workforce of Scottsdale work in the tourism industry. It has one of the highest numbers of AAA Five-Diamond hotels and resorts in the country and is home to many renowned spas and resorts including the Four Seasons Scottsdale and Canyon Suites. The city’s climate, as well as retail facilities, dining, nightlife, and attractions, are what lure in visitors. There are many top employers within the city, including Honor Health, CVS Health, Scottsdale Unified School District, Vanguard and the City of Scottsdale.
Scottsdale has seen incredible population growth throughout its history. Most notably, the city’s population grew a whopping 576.5% between the 1960 and 1970 censuses. By the time of the 1990 census, the city’s population had grown to over 100,000. At the next census in 2000, the population had increased to over 200,000. Most recent estimates show that the population has already risen over 13% since the last estimate taken in 2010, indicating that this thriving city still has lots of growing to do well into the future.
The area that is now known as the city of Scottsdale has a long history dating back as far as 300 BC. During this time, it was inhabited by the Hohokam. One of the most exciting things about the area’s early history is that the ancient civilizations created a series of irrigation canals. What’s so interesting is that many of these were updated and are still in use today. The city was originally a village known as Vasai S-vasoni before it became Scottsdale.
It was during the 1880s that a US Army Chaplain selected the area as having great potential for agricultural ventures. The man, Winfield Scott, purchased over 600 acres. This man, along with his brother George Washington Scott were the first residents of the town of Orangedale, as it was known at the time. The city’s name was changed in 1894, named for Winfield Scott. It wasn’t until 1951 that Scottsdale was incorporated as a city.
In the late 1800s, a public school system was established. The town also gained a post office and a general store during its earliest days. The early 1900s saw expansion in both growth and population with the development of the Granite Reef and Roosevelt dams. Scottsdale was thriving. The economy boomed with the production of cotton during World War II. However, once government contracts ended, the boom came to an end.
During the Great Depression, many architects and artists made their way to Scottsdale. Population only continued to grow throughout the 1900s as the city continued to expand. Planned communities were built during the 1970s through 1990s. Because Scottsdale was growing at such a rapid rate, residents raised concerns about losing their beautiful scenery. A tax was imposed to purchase 36,000 acres that will preserve the southwestern landscape.
Today, Scottsdale’s economy is centered on the tourism industry, which employs 39% of the workforce. The city has multiple spas, has a thriving aviation industry, and has attracted many companies that have set up headquarters in the area, including Cold Stone Creamery, Discount Tire, Fender and GoDaddy.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Scottsdale was:
2019 and 2020 population is estimated by projecting the raw 2018 numbers.
Year | Total Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 5,146,190 | 98,990 | 1.92% |
2020 | 5,047,200 | 99,000 | 1.96% |
2019 | 4,948,200 | 98,990 | 2.00% |
2018 | 4,849,210 | 90,460 | 1.87% |
2017 | 4,758,750 | 85,410 | 1.79% |
2016 | 4,673,340 | 94,820 | 2.03% |
2015 | 4,578,520 | 89,550 | 1.96% |
2014 | 4,488,970 | 85,850 | 1.91% |
2013 | 4,403,120 | 73,360 | 1.67% |
2012 | 4,329,760 | 76,720 | 1.77% |
2011 | 4,253,040 | 48,840 | 1.15% |
2010 | 4,204,200 | 0.00% |
Race | Population | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White | 220,806 | 88.11% |
Asian | 12,207 | 4.87% |
Two or More Races | 5,856 | 2.34% |
Some Other Race | 4,771 | 1.90% |
Black or African American | 4,554 | 1.82% |
American Indian and Alaska Native | 2,117 | 0.84% |
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 291 | 0.12% |
Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
---|---|---|---|
All | 115,401 | 2.16 | 66.2 |
Married | 52,231 | 2.79 | 83 |
Non Family | 51,656 | 1.3 | 52.2 |
Female | 7,672 | 3.08 | 52.2 |
Male | 3,842 | 3.2 | 56.3 |
2.81
Average Family Size
2.16
Average Household Size
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 3,141 | 1.61% |
9th to 12th Grade | 3,291 | 1.69% |
High School Graduate | 24,689 | 12.65% |
Some College | 36,538 | 18.71% |
Associates Degree | 13,543 | 6.94% |
Bachelors Degree | 68,635 | 35.15% |
Graduate Degree | 45,410 | 23.26% |
Name | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 163,504 | 160,408 | 97,633 |
Hispanic | 15,808 | 12,961 | 6,106 |
Asian | 9,004 | 8,756 | 7,311 |
Black | 3,250 | 3,171 | 1,413 |
Other Race | 3,105 | 1,950 | 928 |
Multiple Races | 2,892 | 2,836 | 1,503 |
Native American | 1,496 | 1,321 | 246 |
Islander | 215 | 215 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100.00%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 81.20%.
$57,826
Average Earnings
$70,934
Average Male
$48,448
Average Female
86.78% of Scottsdale residents speak only English, while 13.22% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 5.76% of the population.
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
White | 200,564 | 12,017 | 5.99% |
Hispanic | 25,387 | 4,893 | 19.27% |
Other | 4,744 | 2,147 | 45.26% |
Asian | 12,195 | 710 | 5.82% |
Multiple | 5,856 | 626 | 10.69% |
Black | 4,458 | 502 | 11.26% |
Native | 2,053 | 299 | 14.56% |
7.62%
Overall Poverty Rate
7.03%
Male Poverty Rate
8.20%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Scottsdale is Other, with 45.26% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Scottsdale is Asian, with 5.82% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 1.34%. Among those working part-time, it was 11.46%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 11.88%.
50.5%
Overall Marriage Rate
51.6%
Male Marriage Rate
49.4%
Female Marriage Rate
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 55-64.
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 15,103 | 7.99% |
Hispanic | 726 | 3.89% |
Black | 267 | 7.22% |
2 or More | 227 | 6.56% |
Indian | 147 | 8.38% |
Asian | 91 | 0.93% |
Other | 72 | 2.02% |
4.25%
Veteran Poverty Rate
27.24%
Veteran Disability Rate
62.2%
Labor Force Participation
60.1%
Employment Rate
3.3%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
88.03%
Native Born
11.97%
Foreign Born
5.24%
Non Citizen
6.73%
Naturalized
88.03% of Scottsdale residents were born in the United States, with 23.82% having been born in Arizona. 5.24% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.
Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 265,249 | 3,590 | 1.37% |
2020 | 261,659 | 3,590 | 1.39% |
2019 | 258,069 | 3,590 | 1.41% |
2018 | 254,479 | 3,083 | 1.23% |
2017 | 251,396 | 3,443 | 1.39% |
2016 | 247,953 | 6,880 | 2.85% |
2015 | 241,073 | 7,124 | 3.05% |
2014 | 233,949 | 5,062 | 2.21% |
2013 | 228,887 | 3,696 | 1.64% |
2012 | 225,191 | 4,375 | 1.98% |
2011 | 220,816 | 3,178 | 1.46% |
2010 | 217,638 | 14,933 | 0.71% |
2000 | 202,705 | 72,636 | 4.54% |
1990 | 130,069 | 41,447 | 3.91% |
1980 | 88,622 | 20,799 | 2.71% |
1970 | 67,823 | 57,797 | 21.07% |
1960 | 10,026 | 9,326 | 14.24% |
1940 | 700 | 0.00% |