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→Olympia
Olympia is the Washington state capital, much smaller and chiller than Seattle. Evergreen State College gives it a hippie-anarchist energy (the riot grrrl music movement essentially started here, with Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney's name coming from a local road). The capitol dome is one of the tallest in the country. Puget Sound oysters are the regional star. Mossy, mellow, and underrated.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,991/mo
$606/mo less than Santa Rosa (30%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$533k
$285k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,342/mo
Olympia has $1,381/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
182 days
72 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
2 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 28 more days above 95°F each year than Olympia.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
80 / 100
11.0 pts ahead of Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
90 routes
86 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
299k metro
the verdict
1
Santa Rosa
categories won
7
Olympia
categories won
Olympia wins this comparison, leading on money and lifestyle.
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