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 Wayne
Fort Wayne sits where three rivers meet (the St. Joseph, the St. Marys, and the Maumee), and the riverfront has been transforming into a real public space. The Children's Zoo is consistently ranked among the country's best. It's the second-largest city in Indiana, with the friendly small-town feel still intact. Cheap, easy, and quietly improving.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,187/mo
$1,410/mo less than Santa Rosa (119%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$254k
$564k 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
$6,896/mo
Fort Wayne has $1,935/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
161 days
93 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
38 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 28 more days above 95°F each year than Fort Wayne. Fort Wayne drops below 20°F on 38 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
46 / 100
23.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
10 routes
6 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
458k metro
Santa Rosa has 21.0x fewer events per month than Fort Wayne.
the verdict
3
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
Fort Wayne
categories won
Fort Wayne wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
run your numbers
How far does your Santa Rosa salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works