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→Fayetteville
Fayetteville is the University of Arkansas, Razorback football (call those hogs), and the Ozark mountains rising right outside town. The Walmart and Tyson HQ are in nearby Bentonville, which has reshaped the region's economy. The downtown square farmers market is one of the country's best. The food scene has grown up fast. Surprising for the region.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,606/mo
$991/mo less than Santa Rosa (62%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$367k
$450k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.4%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,361/mo
Fayetteville has $1,400/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
170 days
84 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
16 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
14 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 12 more days above 95°F each year than Fayetteville. Fayetteville drops below 20°F on 14 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
64 / 100
5.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
14 routes
10 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
590k metro
Santa Rosa has 8.0x fewer events per month than Fayetteville.
the verdict
3
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
Fayetteville
categories won
Fayetteville wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
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