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→Austin
Austin runs on breakfast tacos, live music, and a stubborn streak of weirdness that the tech boom hasn't fully smoothed over. The east side reinvents itself every few years and still has the vinyl shops, vintage western wear, and honky-tonks to prove it. Barton Springs holds 68°F year-round and locals plan their summers around it. There's a swimming hole, a taco truck, or a guitar within five blocks of wherever you're standing.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,583/mo
$1,014/mo less than Santa Rosa (64%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$433k
$384k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,750/mo
Austin has $1,789/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
170 days
84 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
53 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
1 days
days below 20°F per year
Austin has 25 more days above 95°F each 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
42 routes
38 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
2.5M metro
Santa Rosa has 120.0x fewer events per month than Austin.
the verdict
3
Santa Rosa
categories won
5
Austin
categories won
Austin wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
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