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→Ocala
Ocala is the horse capital of the world (it actually has more thoroughbred horses than Lexington, Kentucky), with rolling hills of horse farms unlike anywhere else in Florida. Silver Springs (one of the largest artesian springs in the world) is right next door, with glass-bottom boats and clear blue water. Surprisingly hilly. Slower than the coastal cities, with a quietly strong equestrian economy.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,616/mo
$981/mo less than Santa Rosa (61%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$277k
$541k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,717/mo
Ocala has $1,756/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
208 days
46 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
15 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 13 more days above 95°F each year than Ocala.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
62 / 100
7.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
5 routes
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
410k metro
Santa Rosa and Ocala have similar event volume.
the verdict
2
Santa Rosa
categories won
5
Ocala
categories won
Ocala wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on lifestyle.
run your numbers
How far does your Santa Rosa salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works