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→Minneapolis
Minneapolis is 22 lakes inside city limits, an extensive skyway system that lets you cross downtown in February without a coat, and a music legacy that runs from Prince to The Replacements. Summer is a glorious lake-jumping, ice-cream-licking festival. Winter is sauna-and-skate season, with rinks on every lake and cross-country trails stitched through the city. Walleye is on every menu.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,679/mo
$918/mo less than Santa Rosa (55%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$398k
$419k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
7.8%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,000/mo
Minneapolis has $1,039/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
147 days
107 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
84 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 27 more days above 95°F each year than Minneapolis. Minneapolis drops below 20°F on 84 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
76 / 100
7.0 pts ahead of Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
130 routes
126 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
3.7M metro
Santa Rosa has 157.0x fewer events per month than Minneapolis.
the verdict
2
Santa Rosa
categories won
7
Minneapolis
categories won
Minneapolis wins on money and lifestyle. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
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