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→Orlando
Orlando is theme parks plus lake-dotted residential neighborhoods, a surprisingly good food scene, and one of the fastest-growing tech hubs in the south. Winter Park is a charming brick-street pocket of art and brunch. The summer afternoon thunderstorms roll in at 3pm like clockwork. There's a swamp boardwalk within 15 minutes of wherever you are.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,937/mo
$660/mo less than Santa Rosa (34%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$402k
$415k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,396/mo
Orlando has $1,435/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
216 days
38 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
10 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 18 more days above 95°F each year than Orlando.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
62 / 100
7.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
146 routes
142 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
2.8M metro
Santa Rosa has 156.0x fewer events per month than Orlando.
the verdict
2
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
Orlando
categories won
Orlando leads on money and wins overall.
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