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→Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor is the University of Michigan, with the Big House (Michigan Stadium) holding over 107,000 people on football Saturdays, making it briefly the third-largest city in Michigan. Downtown is tree-lined brick streets, great independent bookstores, and a food scene with strong Middle Eastern and Korean energy. Zingerman's Deli is a national pilgrimage. The Huron River runs through. College town energy at its best.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$2,082/mo
$515/mo less than Santa Rosa (25%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$429k
$388k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$5,897/mo
Ann Arbor has $936/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
154 days
100 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
51 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 28 more days above 95°F each year than Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor drops below 20°F on 51 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
56 / 100
13.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
135 routes
131 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
366k metro
Santa Rosa has 14.0x fewer events per month than Ann Arbor.
the verdict
3
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
Ann Arbor
categories won
Ann Arbor wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
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