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→Springfield
Springfield is where basketball was invented in 1891 (the Basketball Hall of Fame is right here), and where Dr. Seuss grew up (there's a sculpture garden downtown). The city's old industrial buildings are slowly coming back, and the surrounding Pioneer Valley is one of the prettiest stretches in New England. UMass is just up the road. Quieter than Boston, much cheaper.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,913/mo
$684/mo less than Santa Rosa (36%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$373k
$445k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,004/mo
Springfield has $1,043/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
147 days
107 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
47 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 27 more days above 95°F each year than Springfield. Springfield drops below 20°F on 47 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
66 / 100
3.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
26 routes
22 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
460k metro
Santa Rosa has 6.0x fewer events per month than Springfield.
the verdict
3
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
Springfield
categories won
Springfield wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
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