01 · the cities
Los Angeles
Los Angeles is 88 cities pretending to be one, connected by freeways and a shared love of really good tacos. Every neighborhood is its own scene: surfers in Venice, the Korean grandmas of K-town, mountains rising behind Pasadena, Persian rugs in Westwood. The light at golden hour is so good it makes Instagram filters jealous. Roll the windows down at golden hour, put on a playlist, and let the city stretch out.
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
$2,899/mo
$2,597/mo
$302/mo less than Los Angeles (12%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$817k
$212k less than Los Angeles
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
9.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,659/mo
$4,961/mo
Santa Rosa has $302/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
283 days
254 days
29 fewer than Los Angeles
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
19 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 9 more days above 95°F each year than Los Angeles.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
67 / 100
69 / 100
2.0 pts ahead of Los Angeles
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
150 routes
4 routes
146 fewer direct routes than Los Angeles
Metro size
Metro size
12.8M metro
482k metro
Los Angeles has 348.0x more events per month than Santa Rosa.
the verdict
3
Los Angeles
categories won
4
Santa Rosa
categories won
Santa Rosa wins on money. Los Angeles has the edge on weather.
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