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→Dallas
Dallas is Stetsons next to skyscrapers, Tex-Mex with queso flowing freely, and a barbecue scene that quietly competes with Austin's. The arts district downtown is enormous and free to wander, while Bishop Arts and Deep Ellum bring the indie energy. Football is its own religion (high school, college, and Cowboys all year round). The bigness is real, and the city wears it well.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,647/mo
$950/mo less than Santa Rosa (58%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$367k
$450k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,686/mo
Dallas has $1,725/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
40 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
2 days
days below 20°F per year
Dallas has 12 more days above 95°F each year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
57 / 100
12.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
190 routes
186 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
8.1M metro
Santa Rosa has 440.0x fewer events per month than Dallas.
the verdict
3
Santa Rosa
categories won
5
Dallas
categories won
Dallas wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
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