Every number below comes from recorded sales, not sentiment.
Right now this is a balanced market, holding steady.
Neither side holds much leverage. Homes move at a normal pace for this ZIP and pricing discipline decides the outcome.
$1.02M
Median sold (3 mo)
$429
Per sqft
54 days
On market · 5-yr norm 40
97.8%
Sold to list
11%
Closed over list · 5-yr norm 18%
Latest three complete months of ARMLS single-family sales in 85254.‡
One-year $/sqft change: 0.4%. Three-year: 11.7%.
Percentages sit next to this ZIP's own five-year norm, so a number reads as high or low
for 85254 specifically, not the metro.
Out of the 212 homes that closed in May to July 2026, here is the bedroom count buyers
actually bought. Median 3.0 bathrooms.
CLIFFORDSELLSAZ
2 beds or fewer1%
3 bedrooms32%
4 bedrooms47%
5+ bedrooms20%
Where 85254 sits
The shaded area is ZIP 85254. Streets and highways
stay visible so you can orient yourself. Map data from OpenStreetMap.
Is 85254 expensive right now
Measured against 26 years of history, 85254 is priced right where it usually sits relative to the rest of the Valley. No premium, no discount. If you buy here, you pay what the neighborhood is actually worth.
Mostly built out. 19,281 homes, with builders still working the last open pockets. Most were built around 1985. 15% of the homes are landlord-owned, which is typical for the Valley.
When 85254 was built
The age profile of the 18,284 homes here with a recorded build year. The copper
bar is the decade that defines this neighborhood. Age tells you what to inspect: a 1970s ZIP
means original plumbing and panels are still out there, while a 2020s ZIP is mostly
under builder warranty.
CLIFFORDSELLSAZ
Before 19600%
1960s3%
1970s28%
1980s34%
1990s24%
2000s4%
2010s1%
2020s6%
Twenty-six years of price history
ZIP 85254Maricopa County
Median sold price per square foot by month,
Jan 2000 to Aug 2026, 3-month smoothed. ARMLS single-family sales.
Over the last 10 years this ZIP appreciated 129%.* In the 2008 crash it drew down 50% peak to trough,† which is the honest measure of how it behaves when the market turns.
Where prices actually land
From 383 sales in the last 6 months (February to July 2026).
Half of everything sold between the 25th and 75th percentile lines.
$/sqft
Sold price
Bottom of the market (p10)
$340
25th percentile
$374
$784,704
Median
$427
$976,201
75th percentile
$498
$1,293,466
Top of the market (p90)
$602
$/sqft and sold price are each their own ranking of
these 383 sales — the 25th percentile by $/sqft is not always the same
sale as the 25th percentile by price, since home size varies within any price range.
Price per square foot runs fairly flat across home sizes here; still, judge a home against its own size band below for the closest comparison.
Size band
Median $/sqft
Sales
Under 1,400 sqft
too few to publish
3
1,400 to 1,900 sqft
$431/sqft
80
1,900 to 2,600 sqft
$422/sqft
159
Over 2,600 sqft
$431/sqft
141
CLIFFORDSELLSAZ
Where does your home land?
Slide to a price and size. I will place it on 85254's ladder, using the
last 6 months of actual sales.
ENTRYVALUEMIDUPPERPREMIUM
YOUR HOME
$340/sqft$427 median$602/sqft
Runs entirely on this page. Nothing is sent anywhere. Not an appraisal,
just where the number sits on this ZIP's ladder.
See what features place a house into each price tier in 85254, and how your
home stacks up. Leave a way to reach you and I will send your street-level
breakdown.
Got it. Your
85254 tier breakdown is on its way. I read every one of these myself. Clifford
That didn't go
through. Try once more, or email me directly at
clifford@cliffordsellsaz.com
and I will take it from there.
What this means for you
Buying here
No rush, no panic. Pricing discipline matters more than timing. Leverage score 52 out of 100,
measured against this ZIP's own 26-year history. Days on market sit at the
59th percentile of everything this ZIP has ever done.
Selling here
The data says: price sharp: the first 2 weeks decide it. That comes from how 85254 buyers
are actually behaving this quarter, not a rule of thumb.
Short-term rentals
444 licensed short-term rentals operate in 85254 (City of Phoenix registry).
Profile: 95% have a pool, median last sale $845K,
66% professionally managed. The archetype here is resort/pool.
If you are weighing a purchase for STR use, this is proven demand territory, and also
proven competition.
Neighborhood profile: 85254
Who provides the power, how common HOAs are, the assigned schools, and what the homes come with. From ARMLS listing data.
Assigned schoolsElementary: Liberty Elementary S, Copper Canyon · Middle: Desert Shadows Scott, Sunrise Middle · High: Horizon School, Horizon. Look up ratings at Arizona's school report cards.
HOA23% of homes are in an HOA (median $98/mo).
Electric utilityAPS (98%) territory.
Water source100% on a city or private water utility.
Sewer8% on septic, the rest on a sewer connection (self-reported in listings, so treat as approximate).
Homes & amenities77% have a private pool, 9% gated, 2% on a golf course.
Communities within 85254
One ZIP can hold very different neighborhoods. These are the most active by recent sales, from brand-new gated builds to established non-HOA streets.
Is ZIP 85254 in Scottsdale a buyer's or seller's market right now?
As of May to July 2026, 85254 is a balanced market. Homes take a median 54 days to sell and 11% close above asking, below the ZIP's ~18% five-year norm for this time of year — measured against the ZIP's own history, not the metro average.
What is the median home price in 85254 (Scottsdale)?
Over the latest three complete months, the median sold price in 85254 is $1.02M, about $429 per square foot. Across a steadier six-month window it is $976,201, about $427 per square foot — the shorter window moves faster, the longer one is more reliable when a ZIP has fewer sales.
Is 85254 affordable for a first-time buyer?
Entry-level homes in 85254, around the 25th percentile by sold price, start near $784,704 (median $976,201). Separately, the 25th percentile by $/sqft is about $374 — its own ranking of the same sales, since home size varies within any price range.
Is 85254 a good area to buy a rental or investment property?
15% of homes in 85254 are held as long-term rentals, and prices are up 129% over the last 10 years. In the 2008 downturn the area drew down 50% peak to trough, which shows how it behaves when the market turns.
What price will a home in 85254 sell for?
Over the last 6 months, most 85254 homes sold between $784,704 and $1,293,466, with a median of $976,201. By $/sqft — its own ranking, not necessarily the same sales — the high end (90th percentile) reaches about $602 per square foot.
How fast do homes sell in 85254?
Homes in 85254 take a median 54 days on market and close at 97.8% of list price, with 11% going over asking, as of May to July 2026.
Is 85254 newer or older housing?
Homes in 85254 were built around a median year of 1985, with 31% built before 1980. Older stock means budgeting for roof, HVAC and systems; newer stock means less deferred maintenance.
This is the ZIP. Your street tells its own story.
I run this same analysis at the subdivision and
size-band level before any client of mine lists or offers.
* 10-year appreciation compares the 3-month-smoothed median price per square foot in August 2016 against August 2026 — the same series shown in the chart above.
† 2008 drawdown is peak-to-trough on the smoothed monthly series: the June 2006 peak to the April 2011 low. On annual medians the figure looks smaller, but it would not match the chart.
‡ The hero tiles above use the latest three complete months (more current, smaller sample); the price-tier table below uses six months (more stable, larger sample). The two medians will not always match, and in a ZIP with fewer sales the gap can be substantial, not a rounding difference.
West USA Realty
Market Data by Clifford Wong, West USA Realty · v1.1 · Data through August 2026 · Updated August 25, 2026
Clifford Wong is licensed to sell real estate in Arizona by the Arizona Department of Real Estate · West USA Realty · AZ License SA699206000 · Equal Housing Opportunity
Sources: ARMLS sold records (Jan 2000 to Aug 2026) and Maricopa County Assessor public
records. Analysis window May to July 2026. This report describes market conditions in ZIP 85254
as a whole. It is not an appraisal or a valuation of any specific property, and it is not
investment advice. Statistics reflect recorded single-family sales and may lag the market
by up to one month. Clifford Wong, West USA Realty.
West USA Realty