Scottsdale ranked as 4th snobbiest city in US

But is this an insult or a compliment?

At first, Scottsale’s No. 4 ranking may appear to be a dig against the “West’s Most Western Town.”

But if you look at the criteria the Movoto Real Estate Blog used to compile the list, it turns out to be high praise.

Scottsdale and the other purportedly snobby cities share qualities that are quite enviable.

Residents are well-educated and well-paid. Their homes have high median prices. There are more private schools and art galleries and fewer fast-food restaurants.

“Most of these are wealthy communities with many opportunities for work, education, and culture,” the blog says. “Heck, we’d probably be pleased as punch to live in any one of these.”

Rick Kidder, president and CEO of the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce, said cities on the list share positive attributes.

“It makes us closely related to the most enviable places to live,” Kidder said. “We find ourselves in excellent company.”

Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane said the city’s excellent attributes don’t equate to a snobby citizenry.

“The criteria used to create this list — property values, income, education, arts and culture — are all signs of a thriving community, and Scottsdale is certainly thriving,” Lane said.

“But I don’t think they automatically equate to the label ‘snob,’” he said, calling Scottsdale “a friendly and welcoming community that offers an uncommon quality of life.”

Residents elsewhere have jokingly called Scottsdale such hoity toity names as “Snotsdale” or the “Beverly Hills of the Desert.”

It’s people who don’t live in the cities that make fun of them, the Movoto Real Estate Blog says.

Scottsdale’s median household income was the sixth highest in the country at $71,564, according to the blog.

The median home price was the 12th highest at $457,700.

“Of the nearly 220,000 residents, 52.69 percent of them have graduated from college.”

Chandler, the only other Arizona city on a larger list of 50 snobby big cities, came in No. 43.