in our guides
of 10
Affordable cities for outdoor lovers
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Best mid-sized US cities
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Best cities to leave San Francisco for
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Most vibrant and affordable cities
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Best affordable cities to retire
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Best cities for retirees who love the outdoors
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Cheapest cities in America
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Best cities to leave New York for
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Best cities to leave Los Angeles for
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Affordable alternatives to Denver
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Best cities to live in the Midwest
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Best cities for a $75k salary
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Best cities to leave Boston for
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Best cities to buy a home
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Most affordable cities to buy a home
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Best cities to leave Nashville for
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Affordable alternatives to Nashville
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Best cities where buying beats renting
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Best cities to leave DC for
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Best cities in the Great Lakes region
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Best cities for creatives and artists
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Best cities for a $60k salary
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Best cities to retire early
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Affordable alternatives to Boise
read the guide01 · the verdict
the verdict
less monthly outlay than Santa Rosa
Dayton is the kind of cheap that changes the math. Same salary, a different life on the other side.
02 · the money
a quick ledger.
$1,321/mo
49% cheaper than Santa Rosa(vs $2,597/mo)
3.99%
$442/mo less in state tax than Santa Rosa
vs 9.3% in Santa Rosa
$6,680/mo
$1,719 more than Santa Rosa
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$139k
83% cheaper than Santa Rosa
vs $817k in Santa Rosa
808k
vs 482k in Santa Rosa
03 · the life
field notes, weather & such.
171
pleasant days a year, in dayton.
Santa Rosa edges ahead with 254 pleasant days. A real winter, not a brutal one: 34 days under 20°, vs 0 in Santa Rosa.
14.0× the events of Santa Rosa, and the calendar shows it.
62/100
10% lower than Santa Rosa
vs 69/100 in Santa Rosa
Closest outdoor draw: Sycamore State Park, 9.9 mi.
89/100
9% lower than Santa Rosa
vs 98/100 in Santa Rosa
16
300% more than Santa Rosa
vs 4 nonstops in Santa Rosa
04 · see also
neighbors of dayton on the map of tradeoffs:

