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→Phoenix
Phoenix is sun, saguaros, and a valley so wide you can drive 45 minutes in a straight line and still be in greater Phoenix. The Sonoran Desert blooms wildly in spring, the monsoon storms in late summer are theatrical, and the hiking on Camelback or Piestewa Peak is a sunrise ritual. Pools and shaded patios are basically infrastructure, and the locals have the rhythm of a desert day dialed.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,739/mo
$858/mo less than Santa Rosa (49%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$458k
$359k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
2.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,386/mo
Phoenix has $1,425/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
181 days
73 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
133 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Phoenix has 105 more days above 95°F each year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
66 / 100
3.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
91 routes
87 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
5.1M metro
Santa Rosa has 199.0x fewer events per month than Phoenix.
the verdict
3
Santa Rosa
categories won
5
Phoenix
categories won
Phoenix wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
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