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→Fresno
Fresno sits at the heart of the most productive farm region in the world, with almonds, grapes, and stone fruit stretching to every horizon. It's the gateway to Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon (three of the country's best national parks all under two hours away). The food scene leans on incredible local produce and a deep Mexican and Hmong food culture. Underrated.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,999/mo
$598/mo less than Santa Rosa (30%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$418k
$400k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
9.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$5,559/mo
Fresno has $598/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
206 days
48 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
107 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Fresno has 79 more days above 95°F each year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
66 / 100
3.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
11 routes
7 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
1.2M metro
Santa Rosa has 38.0x fewer events per month than Fresno.
the verdict
3
Santa Rosa
categories won
4
Fresno
categories won
Fresno wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
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