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→Syracuse
Syracuse averages around 120 inches of snow per year, which is the most of any major U.S. city, and locals wear it like a badge. The Carrier Dome (now JMA Wireless Dome) is the largest on-campus arena in the country. The food scene leans Italian (Salt City was an Italian immigrant hub) and excellent. The Finger Lakes are right next door. Bring boots.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,619/mo
$978/mo less than Santa Rosa (60%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$254k
$563k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
5.9%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,227/mo
Syracuse has $1,266/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
142 days
112 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
53 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 27 more days above 95°F each year than Syracuse. Syracuse drops below 20°F on 53 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
59 / 100
10.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
16 routes
12 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
653k metro
Santa Rosa has 70.0x fewer events per month than Syracuse.
the verdict
3
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
Syracuse
categories won
Syracuse wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
run your numbers
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