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→Fort Collins
Fort Collins is the home of New Belgium Brewing (Fat Tire's origin) and a thriving craft beer scene with more breweries than Boulder. Old Town's brick streets and historic storefronts are charming enough that they're said to have influenced Disney's Main Street USA designers. CSU keeps the energy young. The foothills rise right outside town, and Rocky Mountain National Park is an hour away. Quieter than Boulder, less expensive.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,971/mo
$626/mo less than Santa Rosa (32%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$572k
$245k 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
$5,996/mo
Fort Collins has $1,035/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
177 days
77 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
11 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
44 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 17 more days above 95°F each year than Fort Collins. Fort Collins drops below 20°F on 44 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
69 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
169 routes
165 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
371k metro
Santa Rosa and Fort Collins have similar event volume.
the verdict
2
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
Fort Collins
categories won
Fort Collins wins on money and lifestyle. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
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