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→Nashville
Nashville is honky-tonk neon on Broadway, hot chicken so spicy it counts as a personality test, and a music scene that includes way more than country (though country is the headliner). The Ryman Auditorium is still the most acoustically beloved room in American music. Bachelorette parties on pedal taverns are now a recognized weather pattern. Pack stretchy pants for the biscuits.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,790/mo
$807/mo less than Santa Rosa (45%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$461k
$356k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,543/mo
Nashville has $1,582/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
173 days
81 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
4 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
8 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 24 more days above 95°F each year than Nashville. Nashville drops below 20°F on 8 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
47 routes
43 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
2.1M metro
Santa Rosa has 283.0x fewer events per month than Nashville.
the verdict
3
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
Nashville
categories won
Nashville wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
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