01 · the cities
San Diego
San Diego is the city most Californians secretly wish they lived in: 70°F, sunny, and a beach for every mood. Fish tacos are religion, Balboa Park is bigger than Central Park and packed with museums, and the craft beer scene is one of the best in the country. The zoo is world-famous and the burritos are aggressively underrated. Even the freeways feel relaxed here.
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
$2,890/mo
$2,597/mo
$293/mo less than San Diego (11%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.0M
$817k
$193k less than San Diego
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
9.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,668/mo
$4,961/mo
Santa Rosa has $293/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
332 days
254 days
78 fewer than San Diego
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 San Diego.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
75 / 100
69 / 100
6.0 pts behind San Diego
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
55 routes
4 routes
51 fewer direct routes than San Diego
Metro size
Metro size
3.3M metro
482k metro
San Diego has 174.0x more events per month than Santa Rosa.
the verdict
4
San Diego
categories won
3
Santa Rosa
categories won
San Diego wins on weather and lifestyle. Santa Rosa has the edge on money.
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