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→Detroit
Detroit is Motown, techno's birthplace, auto-industry bones, and a comeback story that's actually happening. Coney dogs come with chili and onions, the riverfront looks across at Canada (yes, Canada is south of Detroit), and the murals in Eastern Market could fill an art book. Cass Corridor, Corktown, Mexicantown: every neighborhood feels like its own city. The architecture downtown is genuinely jaw-dropping.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,472/mo
$1,125/mo less than Santa Rosa (76%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$262k
$555k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,507/mo
Detroit has $1,546/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
160 days
94 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
37 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 28 more days above 95°F each year than Detroit. Detroit drops below 20°F on 37 more days per 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
135 routes
131 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
4.3M metro
Santa Rosa has 90.0x fewer events per month than Detroit.
the verdict
3
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
Detroit
categories won
Detroit wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
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