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→Greensboro
Greensboro was the site of the 1960 Woolworth sit-in (the original lunch counter is preserved at the International Civil Rights Center and Museum, downtown). Four major colleges feed the city, the food scene leans BBQ and good coffee, and the surrounding Piedmont rolls gently in every direction. It's the geographic center of North Carolina, which makes it a useful base for everything else in the state.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,428/mo
$1,169/mo less than Santa Rosa (82%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$269k
$548k 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
$6,530/mo
Greensboro has $1,569/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
189 days
65 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
8 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
6 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 20 more days above 95°F each year than Greensboro. Greensboro drops below 20°F on 6 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
54 / 100
15.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
14 routes
10 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
790k metro
Santa Rosa has 49.0x fewer events per month than Greensboro.
the verdict
3
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
Greensboro
categories won
Greensboro wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
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