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→Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City sits in a bowl of mountains so close you can be at a ski lift in 30 minutes. The grid is laid out from Temple Square in clean numbered streets that make navigation almost too easy. The Great Salt Lake glints west, the Wasatch towers east, and the city itself has loosened up into a real food and bar scene in the last decade. The powder really is that light.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,608/mo
$989/mo less than Santa Rosa (62%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$584k
$234k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.7%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,338/mo
Salt Lake City has $1,377/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
168 days
86 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
23 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
33 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 5 more days above 95°F each year than Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City drops below 20°F on 33 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
78 / 100
9.0 pts ahead of Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
90 routes
86 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
1.3M metro
Santa Rosa has 62.0x fewer events per month than Salt Lake City.
the verdict
2
Santa Rosa
categories won
7
Salt Lake City
categories won
Salt Lake City wins on money and lifestyle. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
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