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→Las Vegas
Las Vegas is the Strip's neon dream, the desert's quiet edges, and a food scene that has quietly become world-class on the back of all those visiting chefs. Red Rock Canyon is 20 minutes from the Bellagio fountains, which is a useful reset button. Pools open in April and parties go until sunrise. Locals know the best restaurants are always one block off the Strip.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,731/mo
$866/mo less than Santa Rosa (50%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$451k
$367k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,602/mo
Las Vegas has $1,641/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
210 days
44 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
104 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Las Vegas has 76 more days above 95°F each year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
80 / 100
11.0 pts ahead of Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
133 routes
129 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
2.3M metro
Santa Rosa has 3508.0x fewer events per month than Las Vegas.
the verdict
2
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
Las Vegas
categories won
Las Vegas wins on money and lifestyle. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
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