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→Cape Coral
Cape Coral has over 400 miles of navigable canals, more than any city in the world, which means many homes literally have boat docks in the backyard. It's a planned community that grew up around water, with easy access to the Caloosahatchee River and the Gulf. The boating, fishing, and manatee-watching are the main events. It's flat, sunny, and built for waterfront life.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,859/mo
$738/mo less than Santa Rosa (40%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$355k
$462k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,474/mo
Cape Coral has $1,513/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
250 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 28 more days above 95°F each year than Cape Coral.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
55 / 100
14.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
33 routes
29 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
835k metro
the verdict
1
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
Cape Coral
categories won
Cape Coral wins this comparison, leading on money and weather.
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