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→Sarasota
Sarasota is the home of the Ringling Brothers Circus (the museum is wild, and yes, there's a vintage clown college history), and Siesta Key's beach is regularly named the best in America for its pure quartz sand. The cultural scene is heavy for a Florida city of its size (theater, opera, art museum). Gulf sunsets here are the brochure shot. The food scene has caught up to the city's wealth and the retirees' time.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$2,121/mo
$476/mo less than Santa Rosa (22%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$423k
$395k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,212/mo
Sarasota has $1,251/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
249 days
5 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 27 more days above 95°F each year than Sarasota.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
59 / 100
10.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
6 routes
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
262k metro
Santa Rosa has 3.0x fewer events per month than Sarasota.
the verdict
2
Santa Rosa
categories won
5
Sarasota
categories won
Sarasota wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on lifestyle.
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