Median rent is 1% lower in Scottsdale ($2,013/mo vs $2,030/mo). Buying is cheaper in Scottsdale, where the median home runs $789,800 versus $938,600. Households earn more in Seattle ($123,860 vs $110,886 a year).
City A
Scottsdale, AZ
City B
Seattle, WA
How much would you need to earn in Seattle, WA to maintain your standard of living from Scottsdale, AZ?
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
Scottsdale
Arizona
Seattle
Washington
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: $2,013/mo in Scottsdale and $2,030/mo in Seattle. Median home values are within 16% of each other: $789,800 in Scottsdale and $938,600 in Seattle.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Scottsdale
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Seattle
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Scottsdale has cleaner air on average: 40.0 AQI (Good) compared to 52.0 AQI (Moderate) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Seattle if you prioritize higher median household income ($123,860/yr).
Pick Scottsdale if you prioritize cleaner air quality (avg AQI 40.0).
Is Scottsdale cheaper than Seattle?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Scottsdale vs Seattle?
Median rent is $2,013/mo in Scottsdale, AZ and $2,030/mo in Seattle, WA. Scottsdale, AZ has the lower rent by about 1%.
Which has higher salaries — Scottsdale or Seattle?
Median household income is $110,886 in Scottsdale, AZ and $123,860 in Seattle, WA. Seattle, WA 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 52.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Scottsdale or Seattle?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Seattle to match my Scottsdale 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
