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→Seattle
Seattle is coffee snobs, ferries crossing the sound, mountains in two directions, and misty mornings that make the espresso taste better. Pike Place still throws fish, the salmon is genuinely better here, and the Cascades sit right outside your window like a movie backdrop. The hippie greenmarket soul still runs through everything the tech money has built. Bring layers.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$2,193/mo
$404/mo less than Santa Rosa (18%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$791k
$26k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,140/mo
Seattle has $1,179/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
182 days
72 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
0 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 28 more days above 95°F each year than Seattle.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
93 / 100
24.0 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
4.0M metro
Santa Rosa has 254.0x fewer events per month than Seattle.
the verdict
1
Santa Rosa
categories won
7
Seattle
categories won
Seattle wins this comparison, leading on money and lifestyle.
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