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→Reno
Reno calls itself the Biggest Little City in the World and means it: casinos and neon, sure, but also a quietly cool downtown, a strong outdoor culture (Tahoe is 45 minutes south), and the Truckee River running right through the middle of everything. The University of Nevada keeps things young. Burning Man buses depart from here every August. Sunnier and drier than people expect.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,908/mo
$689/mo less than Santa Rosa (36%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$574k
$243k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,425/mo
Reno has $1,464/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
4 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
28 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 24 more days above 95°F each year than Reno. Reno drops below 20°F on 28 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
71 / 100
2.0 pts ahead of Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
13 routes
9 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
565k metro
Santa Rosa has 103.0x fewer events per month than Reno.
the verdict
2
Santa Rosa
categories won
7
Reno
categories won
Reno wins on money and lifestyle. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
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