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→Birmingham
Birmingham was built on steel and reshaped by the civil rights movement, and you can feel both stories in the city. The Civil Rights Institute is essential, the food scene (Highlands Bar and Grill, Hot and Hot Fish Club, plenty more) is one of the most acclaimed in the South. The Vulcan statue, the largest cast-iron statue in the world, looks down on the city from Red Mountain. Younger than its reputation suggests.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,407/mo
$1,190/mo less than Santa Rosa (85%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$261k
$557k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,510/mo
Birmingham has $1,549/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
171 days
83 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
28 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
4 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa edges ahead on pleasant days, but both cities have comparable comfort overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
61 / 100
8.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
20 routes
16 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
1.2M metro
Santa Rosa has 90.0x fewer events per month than Birmingham.
the verdict
2
Santa Rosa
categories won
5
Birmingham
categories won
Birmingham wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
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