PlainZIP

Scottsdale, AZ · standard

ZIP Code 85256

Maricopa County, Arizona - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

4,974
58/sq mi
$44,844
Median income
$190,500
Median home value
12.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Scottsdale pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

9th pct
household income, US ZIPs
41th pct
home value, US ZIPs
58
people per sq mi
81%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 85256 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 85256 covers 85.5 square miles in Scottsdale, Maricopa County, Arizona (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 4,974 residents on file, a density of 58 people per square mile, in the Phoenix time zone.

ZIP 85256 reports a modest median household income of $44,844 (38% below the Arizona average), while per-capita income is $22,233. The poverty rate stands at 29.3% and the unemployment rate at 12.8%. On housing, the median home value is $190,500 (44% below the state average) with median rent at $564 per month, and 81.2% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 12.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 30.5, and the average commute is -. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Maricopa County, so you can benchmark 85256 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 85256

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Scottsdale, AZ

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 85256.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 85256, Scottsdale, AZ · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

4,974

Population

85.5

Area (sq mi)

58

People / sq mi

Phoenix

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 85256?

30.5

Median Age

42.9%

Male

57.1%

Female

0.5%

Foreign-Born

White 2.5%
African American 1.5%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 78.8%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 13.8%
Hispanic or Latino 27.4%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$44,844

Median Household Income

-38% vs state

$22,233

Per Capita Income

29.3%

Poverty Rate

12.8%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 85256 ranks nationally

Scottsdale, AZ household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$44,844 9th percentile higher than 9% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 43.1%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 12.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

1,133

Total Housing Units

1,016

Occupied Units

117

Vacant Units

3.38

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 81.2%
Renter 18.8%

$190,500

Median Home Value

-44% vs state

$564

Median Rent

1987

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 74 business establishments in ZIP 85256, employing approximately 10,670 people with a combined annual payroll of $767,023,000.

74

Businesses

10,670

Employees

$767.0M

Annual Payroll

10

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 12 16.2%
Accommodation and food services 12 16.2%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 10 13.5%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 8 10.8%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 6 8.1%
Construction 5 6.8%
Real estate and rental and leasing 4 5.4%
Health care and social assistance 4 5.4%
Manufacturing 3 4.0%
Other services (except public administration) 3 4.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 85256 vs 85201 →

ZIP 85256 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 85256 ranks #0 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 85256 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 85256 ranks #null of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
85201 Mesa, AZ 46,092 4.7 mi
85250 Scottsdale, AZ 15,906 3.6 mi
85251 Scottsdale, AZ 34,390 4.6 mi
85203 Mesa, AZ 35,541 4.2 mi
85257 Scottsdale, AZ 26,755 5.1 mi
85210 Mesa, AZ 36,464 7.7 mi
85258 Scottsdale, AZ 23,342 5.4 mi
85213 Mesa, AZ 31,797 5.5 mi
85259 Scottsdale, AZ 21,422 7.1 mi
85018 Phoenix, AZ 36,065 8.4 mi

More ZIP Codes in Maricopa County

85225 standard
Chandler, AZ
Pop: 69,810
85032 standard
Phoenix, AZ
Pop: 65,485
85308 standard
Glendale, AZ
Pop: 63,876
85204 standard
Mesa, AZ
Pop: 60,885
85301 standard
Glendale, AZ
Pop: 60,161
85281 standard
Tempe, AZ
Pop: 57,348

Related Areas

Maricopa County Scottsdale, AZ Arizona

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 85256 in? ▼
ZIP code 85256 (Scottsdale) is located in Maricopa County, Arizona. Maricopa County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/maricopa-az.
What is the population of ZIP code 85256? ▼
ZIP code 85256 in Scottsdale, AZ has a population of 4,974 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 85256? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 85256 is $44,844, which is 41% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 85256? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 85256 is $190,500, which is 32% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 85256? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 85256 is American Indian or Alaska Native at 78.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 27.4% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 85256? ▼
ZIP code 85256 has 74 business establishments employing approximately 10,670 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 85256? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 85256 are: Retail trade (12), Accommodation and food services (12), Arts, entertainment, and recreation (10). There are 10 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 85256? ▼
In ZIP code 85256, 43.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 12.4% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 85256? ▼
In ZIP code 85256, approximately 81.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 18.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 85256? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 85256 is 29.3% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.