same $100k income, fresh start from Washington
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
more each month than Washington ran you
Santa Rosa costs meaningfully more. Whether it earns that back in the day-to-day is the actual question.
a quick ledger.
$2,597/mo
10% more expensive than Washington(vs $2,352/mo)
9.3%
$67/mo more in state tax than Washington
vs 8.5% in Washington
$4,961/mo
$312 less than Washington
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$817k
31% more expensive than Washington
vs $626k in Washington
482k
vs 6.3M in Washington
field notes, weather & such.
254
pleasant days a year, in santa rosa.
Washington only manages 177 of those. Warm, not extreme: 28 days clear 95°, vs 4 back in Washington.
Lighter on events: Washington packs 161.0× more into a month.
69/100
21% lower than Washington
vs 87/100 in Washington
Closest outdoor draw: Sonoma Coast State Park, 17.4 mi.
98/100
0% lower than Washington
vs 98/100 in Washington
4
97% fewer than Washington
vs 160 nonstops in Washington
neighbors of santa rosa on the map of tradeoffs:
compare santa rosa with:
