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→Eugene
Eugene is Track Town USA (Hayward Field is the spiritual home of American distance running), the University of Oregon, and a hippie-academic-outdoorsy culture that's been here since the '60s and isn't going anywhere. The Willamette and McKenzie rivers meet just outside town. Saturday Market downtown has been running for over 50 years. Coffee and craft beer are taken seriously. Misty in winter, glorious in summer.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,799/mo
$798/mo less than Santa Rosa (44%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$456k
$362k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
8.8%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$5,805/mo
Eugene has $844/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
206 days
48 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
2 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
1 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 26 more days above 95°F each year than Eugene.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
75 / 100
6.0 pts ahead of Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
9 routes
5 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
381k metro
Santa Rosa has 27.0x fewer events per month than Eugene.
the verdict
1
Santa Rosa
categories won
7
Eugene
categories won
Eugene wins this comparison, leading on money and lifestyle.
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