<p class="ingestion featured-caption">Business Insider's reporter encountered a few surprises during her trip to Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, Arizona. Joey Hadden/Business Insider</p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Scottsdale and Paradise Valley are among Arizona's wealthiest areas.</li><li>I recently visited the two Phoenix suburbs for the first time and was surprised by their offerings.</li></ul><p>In April, I flew from my home in NYC to Phoenix to spend 48 hours in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scottsdale-paradise-valley-over-the-top-wealth-luxury-2024-6">Arizona's wealth enclave</a>.</p><p>I'd been to Phoenix many times, but I hadn't visited the two suburbs around it that are attracting affluent residents — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scottsdale-arizona-millionaires-moving-what-its-like-photos-2024-4">Scottsdale</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/paradise-valley-arizona-wealthy-californians-moving-privacy-luxury-lower-taxes-2024-2">Paradise Valley</a>.</p><p>Scottsdale is growing faster than nearly every other city in America when it comes to wealth, <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/scottsdale/2024/03/26/scottsdale-second-fastest-growing-millionaire-population-in-america/73096452007/"><u>AZ Central reported in March</u></a>. Over the past decade, Scottsdale has gained 102% more <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/heres-where-all-the-wealthy-young-people-are-moving-this-year-2023-8">millionaire residents</a>, according to the <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.henleyglobal.com/publications/usa-wealth-report-2024"><u>USA Wealth Report by Henley & Partners</u></a>.</p><p>Nestled between Scottsdale and Phoenix, Paradise Valley is the richest municipality in Arizona. The desert mountain town of grand estates is known as the "<a target="_blank" rel href="https://www.businessinsider.com/paradise-valley-arizona-wealthy-californians-moving-privacy-luxury-lower-taxes-2024-2"><u>Beverley Hills of Arizona</u></a>," and it's a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/where-bilionaires-live-cities-us-2023-4">billionaire hot spot</a>.</p><p>Real-estate agent <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.theshackeltongroup.com/"><u>Shawn Shackelton</u></a>, who has been selling luxury homes in Paradise Valley and Scottsdale for over two decades, told Business Insider that incoming residents are typically entrepreneurs, <a target="_blank" rel href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fortune-100-c-suite-executives-getting-older-trend-study-2023-12"><u>C-suite executives</u></a>, medical professionals such as doctors and PAs, and <a target="_blank" rel href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fat-fire-early-retirement-usa-thailand-passive-income-dad-hobbies-2024-4"><u>young retirees</u></a>.</p><p>After five years of living in NYC, I couldn't imagine ditching the big city life. But while spending one night in each Phoenix suburb, a few things about the area surprised me. And some of these surprises made me realize I could see myself moving to a place like Scottsdale or Paradise Valley.</p>