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→Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach is the Grand Strand's anchor, with 60 miles of beach, more than 80 mini golf courses (it might be the mini golf capital of America), and a boardwalk packed with arcades and pancake houses. Calabash-style fried seafood is a thing. It's a family beach town, full stop, with affordable oceanfront and easy access to Charleston a few hours south.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,727/mo
$870/mo less than Santa Rosa (50%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$361k
$456k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
6.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,065/mo
Myrtle Beach has $1,104/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
249 days
5 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
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 28 more days above 95°F each year than Myrtle Beach.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
58 / 100
11.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
23 routes
19 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
397k metro
Santa Rosa has 23.0x fewer events per month than Myrtle Beach.
the verdict
2
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
Myrtle Beach
categories won
Myrtle Beach leads on money and wins overall.
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