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→Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the Pennsylvania state capital sitting on the Susquehanna River, with a gorgeous Beaux-Arts capitol building (Theodore Roosevelt called it the handsomest building he ever saw). City Island in the middle of the river is a small park with minor league baseball. Hershey is 15 minutes east (yes, that Hershey). Slower-paced than its metro neighbors.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,446/mo
$1,151/mo less than Santa Rosa (80%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$309k
$509k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
3.1%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,632/mo
Harrisburg has $1,671/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
152 days
102 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
3 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
33 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 25 more days above 95°F each year than Harrisburg. Harrisburg drops below 20°F on 33 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
69 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
12 routes
8 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
606k metro
Santa Rosa has 33.0x fewer events per month than Harrisburg.
the verdict
2
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
Harrisburg
categories won
Harrisburg wins on money and lifestyle. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
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