$100k a year, no longer in New York
changea dispatch from
santa rosa
CA
38.44°N
122.71°W
Santa Rosa is the gateway to Sonoma wine country, less polished than Napa but more lived-in. Charles Schulz lived here and the Snoopy museum is a delight. The Russian River redwoods are 30 minutes west. The city itself has rebuilt impressively after the 2017 fires, with a downtown that mixes wineries, breweries, and farm-to-table restaurants. Cooler than San Francisco in summer.
the verdict
under New York, every month
Santa Rosa sits well below New York on cost. Same paycheck, a noticeably lighter month.
a quick ledger.
$2,597/mo
22% cheaper than New York(vs $3,329/mo)
9.3%
$119/mo less in state tax than New York
vs 10.73% in New York
$4,961/mo
$851 more than New York
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$817k
11% more expensive than New York
vs $739k in New York
482k
vs 19.5M in New York
field notes, weather & such.
254
pleasant days a year, in santa rosa.
New York keeps to 171 pleasant days a year. Summer is real but not punishing: 28 days top 95° vs New York's 1.
But the calendar thins out: New York stays 3907.0× busier.
69/100
12% lower than New York
vs 78/100 in New York
Closest outdoor draw: Sonoma Coast State Park, 17.4 mi.
98/100
2% lower than New York
vs 100/100 in New York
4
98% fewer than New York
vs 215 nonstops in New York
in the same ballpark as santa rosa:
compare santa rosa with:
