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→South Bend
South Bend is Notre Dame, the Golden Dome, and the Touchdown Jesus mural visible from the football stadium. The St. Joseph River runs through downtown, and the East Bank district has the food and bar scene. The University of Notre Dame campus is genuinely beautiful (the basilica, the lakes, the grottos). Smaller than its national reputation suggests, with a steady college-town pulse.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,391/mo
$1,206/mo less than Santa Rosa (87%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$230k
$587k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
3.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,692/mo
South Bend has $1,731/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
157 days
97 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
40 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 28 more days above 95°F each year than South Bend. South Bend drops below 20°F on 40 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
53 / 100
16.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
9 routes
5 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
324k metro
Santa Rosa has 17.0x fewer events per month than South Bend.
the verdict
3
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
South Bend
categories won
South Bend wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
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