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→Columbus
Columbus is on the Chattahoochee River, with the longest urban whitewater course in the world (since 2013) running right through downtown for rafting and surfing waves. Fort Moore (formerly Fort Benning) is the city's anchor. The Riverwalk stretches for miles. The downtown has come back nicely with restaurants and breweries. Smaller and friendlier than the city's industrial reputation suggests.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,264/mo
$1,333/mo less than Santa Rosa (105%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$208k
$609k 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
$6,612/mo
Columbus has $1,651/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
177 days
77 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
39 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
2 days
days below 20°F per year
Columbus has 11 more days above 95°F each year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
47 / 100
22.0 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
329k metro
Santa Rosa has 23.0x fewer events per month than Columbus.
the verdict
4
Santa Rosa
categories won
4
Columbus
categories won
Santa Rosa wins on weather and lifestyle, Columbus wins on money. Dead even.
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