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→Spartanburg
Spartanburg is the Upstate of South Carolina, with rolling foothills, peach orchards (yes, South Carolina actually grows more peaches than Georgia in some years), and the largest BMW manufacturing plant in the world just outside town. The downtown's been revitalizing with breweries and restaurants. Wofford and Converse keep college energy in town. The Blue Ridge is right there.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,434/mo
$1,163/mo less than Santa Rosa (81%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$277k
$540k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
6.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,358/mo
Spartanburg has $1,397/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
191 days
63 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
16 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
4 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 12 more days above 95°F each year than Spartanburg.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
68 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
20 routes
16 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
383k metro
Santa Rosa has 15.0x fewer events per month than Spartanburg.
the verdict
1
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
Spartanburg
categories won
Spartanburg wins this comparison, leading on money and lifestyle.
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