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→Lafayette
Lafayette is the unofficial capital of Cajun country, with zydeco music spilling out of dance halls, crawfish boils that count as social events, and gumbo so dark and rich it should be served with a nap. Mardi Gras here is huge but more family-friendly than New Orleans. The food (boudin, etouffee, cracklins) is the main reason to be here. Friendly in a way that's hard to fake.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,332/mo
$1,265/mo less than Santa Rosa (95%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$200k
$617k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
3.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,751/mo
Lafayette has $1,790/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
211 days
43 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
7 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 21 more days above 95°F each year than Lafayette.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
43 / 100
26.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
3 routes
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
414k metro
Santa Rosa has 5.0x fewer events per month than Lafayette.
the verdict
2
Santa Rosa
categories won
5
Lafayette
categories won
Lafayette wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on lifestyle.
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