POPULATION: 202,705

NEAREST LARGE CITY: Phoenix

Scottsdale has a couple of high-end residential golf communities including Desert Mountain, with six championship golf courses. The average price of a home for this community is $2 million to $3 million, but there are homes that sell for a lot more. Phoenix's big resorts are in Scottsdale, and the city has designed itself to be a big tourist draw, creating a high demand for land in this area and affecting property values. The city of Phoenix has invested $3 billion in the past four to five years for the area's renovation.

"There is a big push to make this area appealing for visitors," says Sandy Adler with Arizona Best Real Estate. "The other interesting thing is that a lot of people want to come for the winter and rent condos. In the winter, for the most part the average daily temperature is in the 60s. It's a very short winter, and this draws tourism."

Scottsdale is also a mecca of high-end shopping and dining. It's also home to numerous community activities and recreation. Its downtown continues to see an influx of commercial property as well as luxurious apartments and lofts.

"There are a lot of cultural things," Adler says. "It's appealing as a luxury destination because there are a lot of activities that people with money enjoy doing."

Charles Barkley and Steve Nash are among Scottsdale's most famous residents.

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