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→Bridgeport
Bridgeport is the largest city in Connecticut, sitting on Long Island Sound with a working harbor and a real waterfront. P.T. Barnum lived here and the city's museum still pays tribute to his weird genius. It's a quick train ride to New York, with much cheaper housing and proper New England summers. The food scene punches above its weight, with old-school Portuguese and Brazilian spots packed every weekend.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$2,767/mo
$170/mo more than Santa Rosa (6%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$768k
$50k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$5,108/mo
Bridgeport has $147/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
172 days
82 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
15 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 28 more days above 95°F each year than Bridgeport. Bridgeport drops below 20°F on 15 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
64 / 100
5.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
1 routes
3 fewer direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
952k metro
Santa Rosa has 7.0x fewer events per month than Bridgeport.
the verdict
5
Santa Rosa
categories won
4
Bridgeport
categories won
Santa Rosa wins on weather and lifestyle. Bridgeport has the edge on money.
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