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→Savannah
Savannah is 22 oak-shaded squares draped in Spanish moss, ghost tours by candlelight, and shrimp and grits so good they should be regulated. The historic district is a working film set that just happens to be a real city, kept lively by SCAD students keeping the cafes weird. To-go cups of cocktails are legal in the historic district, which tells you exactly how the city wants you to spend a Saturday. The oldest art museum in the South is here too, in case you need a culture alibi.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,770/mo
$827/mo less than Santa Rosa (47%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$349k
$468k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,106/mo
Savannah has $1,145/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
209 days
45 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
19 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 9 more days above 95°F each year than Savannah.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
52 / 100
17.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
13 routes
9 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
425k metro
Santa Rosa has 16.0x fewer events per month than Savannah.
the verdict
2
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
Savannah
categories won
Savannah leads on money and wins overall.
run your numbers
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