For residents and tourists alike, Scottsdale, Arizona is about luxury and quality of life. The city must have the formula right, because more than 7.5 million people visit each year, and it placed seventh on Money magazine’s “2006 Best Place to Live in America”. Scottsdale is internationally recognized as a premiere tourist destination. In addition to having more than 300 days of sunshine each year and the magnificent backdrop provided by the Sonoran Desert and the surrounding McDowell Mountains, Scottsdale also has the finest in shopping and dining. It also has fabulous 5-star hotels, resorts and spas, and an endless array of year-round outdoor activities including some of the best golf in the world. It is no wonder why some tourists end up calling Scottsdale their home.

Despite its current reputation, the city had very modest roots. In 1888, U.S. Army Chaplain Winfield Scott paid $2.50 an acre for a 640-acre section of land in what is now Scottsdale. Scott's brother, George Washington Scott, became the first resident of the future town. He cleared the land, dug irrigation ditches, and planted 80 acres of barley, a 20-acre vineyard, and a seven-acre citrus orchard.

In 1951, the year Scottsdale incorporated, there were still only 2,000 people living in the town, on less than two square miles of land. Today, Scottsdale has over a quarter of a million residents living on 185 square miles of land. The growth has escalated so much in recent years that Scottsdale is now Arizona’s fifth largest city.

Today, Scottsdale is home to many popular planned communities such as McCormick Ranch, Gainey Ranch, Troon, McDowell Mountain Ranch, Grayhawk, Desert Mountain and many more. Downtown Scottsdale continues to thrive and offers a choice of unique areas including Old Town, the Main Street Arts and Antiques District, the Marshall Way Contemporary Arts District, and the Fifth Avenue Shops. Further north, one can find Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural school and the McDowell-Sonoran Preserve.

Every spring, Scottsdale is proud to call itself the spring training home of the San Francisco Giants. It is also proud to be Scottsdale Community College, Scottsdale Civic Center, Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall, the Borgata, the Stagebrush Theatre, Scottsdale Center for the Arts, and Mayo Clinic.

Demographics: Scottsdale, Arizona covers 185 square miles and has a population of 226,013. The median age is 41.0. The median household income is $84,747 (2007). The median home value of a new home is just above $900,000 (2007) and the median value of a resale is $525,000 (2007).http://www.ci.scottsdale.az.us/

Scottsdale Communities