Median rent is 3% lower in Scottsdale ($2,013/mo vs $2,082/mo). Buying is cheaper in Santa Ana, where the median home runs $713,000 versus $789,800. Households earn more in Scottsdale ($110,886 vs $93,999 a year).
City A
Santa Ana, CA
City B
Scottsdale, AZ
How much would you need to earn in Scottsdale, AZ to maintain your standard of living from Santa Ana, CA?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Santa Ana
California
Scottsdale
Arizona
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rents are similar in both cities: $2,082/mo in Santa Ana and $2,013/mo in Scottsdale. Median home values are within 10% of each other: $713,000 in Santa Ana and $789,800 in Scottsdale.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Santa Ana
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Scottsdale
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Air quality data is available for Scottsdale (avg AQI 40.0) but not yet for Santa Ana.
Pick Scottsdale if you prioritize higher median household income ($110,886/yr).
Is Santa Ana cheaper than Scottsdale?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Santa Ana vs Scottsdale?
Median rent is $2,082/mo in Santa Ana, CA and $2,013/mo in Scottsdale, AZ. Scottsdale, AZ has the lower rent by about 3%.
Which has higher salaries — Santa Ana or Scottsdale?
Median household income is $93,999 in Santa Ana, CA and $110,886 in Scottsdale, AZ. Scottsdale, AZ has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Air quality data is not yet available for one or both cities.
Which has lower taxes — Santa Ana or Scottsdale?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Scottsdale to match my Santa Ana income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
