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→Hagerstown
Hagerstown is the Hub City of western Maryland, where rail lines and highways converge in the Cumberland Valley. The downtown has a small but charming historic core. Antietam Battlefield is 30 minutes south, with some of the most affecting Civil War landscape in the country. The Appalachian Trail crosses just to the west. Quiet, with serious history nearby.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,587/mo
$1,010/mo less than Santa Rosa (64%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$321k
$496k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
8.2%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,063/mo
Hagerstown has $1,102/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
160 days
94 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
6 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
24 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 22 more days above 95°F each year than Hagerstown. Hagerstown drops below 20°F on 24 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
56 / 100
13.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
2 routes
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
305k metro
Santa Rosa has 18.0x fewer events per month than Hagerstown.
the verdict
3
Santa Rosa
categories won
5
Hagerstown
categories won
Hagerstown wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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