City comparison
San Tan Valley, AZ is about 40 miles (60 km) from Scottsdale, AZ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 50 miles, or about 49 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from San Tan Valley, AZ to Scottsdale, AZ takes about 5 min, covering roughly 40 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Scottsdale has a population of 240,537, vs 101,207 in San Tan Valley — about 2.4× larger by population. By land area, Scottsdale covers about 185 sq mi vs 76 sq mi for San Tan Valley.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | San Tan Valley | Scottsdale | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,729/mo | $1,768/mo | 2.3% higher in Scottsdale |
| Median home value | $304,000 | $651,800 | 114.4% higher in Scottsdale |
| Median household income | $88,466 | $104,197 | 17.8% higher in Scottsdale |
| Groceries index | 95.8 | 95.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 96.2 | 96.2 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 104.1 | 104.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 104.0 | 104.0 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in San Tan Valley, you'd need $100,100 in Scottsdale to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
San Tan Valley and Scottsdale have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in San Tan Valley, you'd need about $80,080 in Scottsdale to keep the same standard of living.