01 · the cities
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→Allentown
Allentown is the heart of the Lehigh Valley, with old industrial bones turning into a quietly resilient mid-sized city. The Lehigh River runs past, the historic downtown has been steadily finding its footing with breweries and restaurants in the old buildings, and the surrounding farmland is gorgeous. It's an hour and change from both Philly and NYC. Cheaper than both, by a lot.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,809/mo
$788/mo less than Santa Rosa (44%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$359k
$458k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
3.1%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,269/mo
Allentown has $1,308/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
254 days
157 days
97 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
2 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
32 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 26 more days above 95°F each year than Allentown. Allentown drops below 20°F on 32 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
73 / 100
4.0 pts ahead of Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
9 routes
5 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
874k metro
Santa Rosa has 27.0x fewer events per month than Allentown.
the verdict
2
Santa Rosa
categories won
7
Allentown
categories won
Allentown wins on money and lifestyle. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
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