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→Evansville
Evansville sits on a horseshoe bend of the Ohio River in the southwestern corner of Indiana, closer to Memphis than to Indianapolis in feel. The Mesker Park Zoo is a sleeper good time. The University of Evansville and University of Southern Indiana keep college energy in town. River history, Cajun and Southern food influences, and a friendly Midwest pace. Cheap and easy.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,075/mo
$1,522/mo less than Santa Rosa (142%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$222k
$595k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
3.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$7,008/mo
Evansville has $2,047/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
184 days
70 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
21 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 26 more days above 95°F each year than Evansville. Evansville drops below 20°F on 21 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
54 / 100
15.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
4 routes
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
271k metro
Santa Rosa has 7.0x fewer events per month than Evansville.
the verdict
3
Santa Rosa
categories won
5
Evansville
categories won
Evansville wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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