City comparison
Scottsdale, AZ is about 175 miles (275 km) from Sierra Vista, AZ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 225 miles, or about 3 h 30 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 Scottsdale, AZ to Sierra Vista, AZ takes about 21 min, covering roughly 175 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 45,212 in Sierra Vista — about 5.3× larger by population. By land area, Scottsdale covers about 185 sq mi vs 150 sq mi for Sierra Vista.
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 | Scottsdale | Sierra Vista | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,768/mo | $1,080/mo | 63.7% higher in Scottsdale |
| Median home value | $651,800 | $215,900 | 201.9% higher in Scottsdale |
| Median household income | $104,197 | $70,899 | 47.0% higher in Scottsdale |
| Groceries index | 95.8 | 96.9 | 1.1% higher in Sierra Vista |
| Utilities index | 96.2 | 94.9 | 1.3% higher in Scottsdale |
| Transportation index | 104.1 | 100.3 | 3.8% higher in Scottsdale |
| Healthcare index | 104.0 | 100.2 | 3.8% higher in Scottsdale |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Scottsdale, you'd need $76,305 in Sierra Vista to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sierra Vista, AZ is about 23.7% cheaper overall than Scottsdale, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 92% higher in Scottsdale than in Sierra Vista. If you earn $80,000 in Scottsdale, you'd need about $61,044 in Sierra Vista to keep the same standard of living.