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→Greeley
Greeley is northern Colorado's ag city, sitting on the South Platte River with cattle feedlots, sugar beets, and the University of Northern Colorado. The annual Greeley Stampede every July is one of the bigger rodeos in the country. It's an honest, wide-sky kind of town with deep ag roots. Cheaper than Fort Collins, with mountain access still under an hour away.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,698/mo
$899/mo less than Santa Rosa (53%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$497k
$320k 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
$6,269/mo
Greeley has $1,308/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 Greeley. Greeley drops below 20°F on 44 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
67 / 100
2.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
169 routes
165 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
359k metro
Santa Rosa has 4.0x fewer events per month than Greeley.
the verdict
3
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
Greeley
categories won
Greeley wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
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