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→Kingsport
Kingsport is a planned 'model city' built by the Eastman Chemical Company in the early 1900s, with a downtown laid out in deliberate grids and the company still dominating the local economy. It's in the Tri-Cities area (with Bristol and Johnson City), tucked into the Appalachian foothills. Bays Mountain Park and the South Fork Holston River give it strong outdoor access. Quietly orderly.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,383/mo
$1,214/mo less than Santa Rosa (88%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$244k
$573k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,950/mo
Kingsport has $1,989/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
188 days
66 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
15 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 27 more days above 95°F each year than Kingsport. Kingsport drops below 20°F on 15 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
59 / 100
10.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
4 routes
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
312k metro
Santa Rosa has 8.0x fewer events per month than Kingsport.
the verdict
3
Santa Rosa
categories won
5
Kingsport
categories won
Kingsport wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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