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→Lancaster
Lancaster is the heart of Pennsylvania Amish country, with horse-drawn buggies on rural roads and the Central Market (the oldest continuously operating farmers market in the country, since the 1730s). The food scene is sneaky-strong, the surrounding farmland is gorgeous, and the city's downtown has come back nicely. Whoopie pies, shoofly pies, and sticky buns are mandatory.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,517/mo
$1,080/mo less than Santa Rosa (71%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$384k
$434k 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
$6,561/mo
Lancaster has $1,600/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
158 days
96 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
25 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 25 more days above 95°F each year than Lancaster. Lancaster drops below 20°F on 25 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
63 / 100
6.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
1 routes
3 fewer direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
559k metro
Santa Rosa has 15.0x fewer events per month than Lancaster.
the verdict
4
Santa Rosa
categories won
5
Lancaster
categories won
Lancaster wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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