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→Portland
Portland is food carts, bridges, donuts shaped like Voodoo dolls, and a low-key obsession with doing things the hard, hand-made way. The 'Keep Portland Weird' bumper sticker is older than most of the influencers who quote it. Mt. Hood pops into view between buildings on clear mornings, and the bike infrastructure puts most American cities to shame. Coffee here is treated like wine.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,781/mo
$816/mo less than Santa Rosa (46%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$562k
$255k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
8.8%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$5,823/mo
Portland has $862/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
178 days
76 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
7 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 21 more days above 95°F each year than Portland.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
87 / 100
18.0 pts ahead of Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
57 routes
53 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
2.5M metro
Santa Rosa has 123.0x fewer events per month than Portland.
the verdict
1
Santa Rosa
categories won
7
Portland
categories won
Portland wins this comparison, leading on money and lifestyle.
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