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's life revolves around Fort Liberty (recently renamed from Fort Bragg), one of the largest military installations in the world. The Cape Fear River runs past, the airborne and special operations museum is excellent, and the food scene reflects the international military families that cycle through. Southern, military, and friendly. Quieter than the big NC cities.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,477/mo
$1,120/mo less than Santa Rosa (76%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$258k
$560k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,481/mo
Fayetteville has $1,520/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
193 days
61 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
14 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
3 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 14 more days above 95°F each year than Fayetteville.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
51 / 100
18.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
4 routes
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
392k metro
Santa Rosa has 15.0x fewer events per month than Fayetteville.
the verdict
2
Santa Rosa
categories won
5
Fayetteville
categories won
Fayetteville wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on lifestyle.
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