01 · the cities
Honolulu
Honolulu is Waikiki's high-rises pressed against turquoise water, Diamond Head crater glowing pink at dawn, and plate lunches that mix Hawaiian, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, and Portuguese into one perfect styrofoam container. Surf the south shore in summer, the north in winter. The North Shore is a 45-minute drive into a totally different world. Aloha here is a way of moving through the day.
full dispatch→Santa Rosa
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.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,843/mo
$2,597/mo
$246/mo less than Honolulu (9%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$817k
$244k less than Honolulu
State income tax
State income tax
11.0%
9.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,574/mo
$4,961/mo
Santa Rosa has $387/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
316 days
254 days
62 fewer than Honolulu
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
28 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 28 more days above 95°F each year than Honolulu.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
55 / 100
69 / 100
14.0 pts ahead of Honolulu
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
51 routes
4 routes
47 fewer direct routes than Honolulu
Metro size
Metro size
989k metro
482k metro
Honolulu has 95.0x more events per month than Santa Rosa.
the verdict
3
Honolulu
categories won
5
Santa Rosa
categories won
Santa Rosa wins on money. Honolulu has the edge on weather.
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