Median rent is 21% lower in Scottsdale ($2,013/mo vs $2,544/mo). Buying is cheaper in Santa Clarita, where the median home runs $784,700 versus $789,800. Households earn more in Santa Clarita ($123,062 vs $110,886 a year).
City A
Santa Clarita, CA
City B
Scottsdale, AZ
How much would you need to earn in Scottsdale, AZ to maintain your standard of living from Santa Clarita, 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 Clarita
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
Renters will find significantly cheaper housing in Scottsdale — median rent of $2,013/mo versus $2,544/mo in Santa Clarita, a 21% difference. Median home values are within 1% of each other: $784,700 in Santa Clarita and $789,800 in Scottsdale.
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Santa Clarita
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Scottsdale
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Scottsdale has cleaner air on average: 40.0 AQI (Good) compared to 60.0 AQI (Moderate) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Santa Clarita if you prioritize higher median household income ($123,062/yr).
Pick Scottsdale if you prioritize cheaper rent ($2,013/mo median).
Pick Scottsdale if you prioritize cleaner air quality (avg AQI 40.0).
Is Santa Clarita cheaper than Scottsdale?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Santa Clarita vs Scottsdale?
Median rent is $2,544/mo in Santa Clarita, CA and $2,013/mo in Scottsdale, AZ. Scottsdale, AZ has the lower rent by about 21%.
Which has higher salaries — Santa Clarita or Scottsdale?
Median household income is $123,062 in Santa Clarita, CA and $110,886 in Scottsdale, AZ. Santa Clarita, CA 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?
Scottsdale, AZ has better air quality on average: 40.0 AQI versus 60.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Santa Clarita 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 Clarita 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
