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→Milwaukee
Milwaukee is beer (the Pabst and Miller legacy still hangs in the air), bratwurst (with the proper amount of mustard, please), and a Lake Michigan shoreline that goes on forever. Frozen custard is a regional specialty and a serious one. The Calatrava-designed art museum has wings that literally open and close on Lake Michigan. Friendly here means you'll have a new friend by the second beer.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,504/mo
$1,093/mo less than Santa Rosa (73%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$394k
$423k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
6.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,307/mo
Milwaukee has $1,346/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
149 days
105 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
62 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 28 more days above 95°F each year than Milwaukee. Milwaukee drops below 20°F on 62 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
61 / 100
8.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
30 routes
26 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
1.6M metro
Santa Rosa has 70.0x fewer events per month than Milwaukee.
the verdict
3
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
Milwaukee
categories won
Milwaukee wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
run your numbers
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