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→Raleigh
Raleigh is the third leg of the Research Triangle, full of oaks (its nickname is the City of Oaks), state museums that are all free, and a downtown that's grown up fast without losing its quiet edges. NC State pumps young energy in, the food scene is sneaky-good, and the surrounding pine forests make summer evenings smell incredible. Beaches are two hours east, mountains three hours west.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,663/mo
$934/mo less than Santa Rosa (56%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$440k
$377k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,295/mo
Raleigh has $1,334/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
201 days
53 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
5 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
3 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 23 more days above 95°F each year than Raleigh.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
58 / 100
11.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
39 routes
35 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
1.5M metro
Santa Rosa has 47.0x fewer events per month than Raleigh.
the verdict
2
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
Raleigh
categories won
Raleigh leads on money and wins overall.
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