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→Duluth
Duluth sits on the western tip of Lake Superior, with the iconic Aerial Lift Bridge lifting for ships entering the harbor. Bob Dylan was born here. The lakefront walking path goes for miles. Canal Park has the local food and brewery scene. Summer hiking, kayaking, and shoreline views are jaw-dropping, and winter turns the city into a snow-lit lakeside cathedral. Wild and beautiful.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,559/mo
$1,038/mo less than Santa Rosa (67%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$252k
$565k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
7.8%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,120/mo
Duluth has $1,159/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
132 days
122 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
105 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 28 more days above 95°F each year than Duluth. Duluth drops below 20°F on 105 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
73 / 100
4.0 pts ahead of Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
4 routes
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
282k metro
Santa Rosa has 30.0x fewer events per month than Duluth.
the verdict
2
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
Duluth
categories won
Duluth wins on money and lifestyle. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
run your numbers
How far does your Santa Rosa salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works