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→Memphis
Memphis is dry-rub ribs, Beale Street neon, and the rooms where Stax and Sun Records changed pop music forever. Graceland is a tourist pilgrimage that's still genuinely moving. The Mississippi rolls past, the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel is essential, and the BBQ debate (rib joints vs. the chopped-pork houses) is a local pastime. Soulful in the literal sense.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,436/mo
$1,161/mo less than Santa Rosa (81%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$244k
$574k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,897/mo
Memphis has $1,936/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
185 days
69 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
6 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
5 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 22 more days above 95°F each year than Memphis. Memphis drops below 20°F on 5 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
56 / 100
13.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
32 routes
28 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
1.3M metro
Santa Rosa has 36.0x fewer events per month than Memphis.
the verdict
3
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
Memphis
categories won
Memphis wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
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