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→Salem
Salem is the Oregon state capital, smaller and quieter than Portland (less than an hour north), with the Willamette River running through downtown and the surrounding Willamette Valley producing some of the best Pinot Noir in the world. The state capitol is topped by a gold-leaf pioneer statue. Cherry blossoms line the riverfront every spring. Affordable and underrated.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,642/mo
$955/mo less than Santa Rosa (58%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$452k
$365k 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
$5,962/mo
Salem has $1,001/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
2 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
1 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 26 more days above 95°F each year than Salem.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
69 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
0 routes
4 fewer direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
437k metro
Santa Rosa and Salem have similar event volume.
the verdict
2
Santa Rosa
categories won
5
Salem
categories won
Salem wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on lifestyle.
run your numbers
How far does your Santa Rosa salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works