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→Tallahassee
Tallahassee feels more like south Georgia than Florida: oak canopies, rolling hills, and red clay. It's the state capital, home to Florida State (Seminole football is a religion) and FAMU, and surrounded by some of the best springs in the country (Wakulla and Wakulla Springs State Park are 20 minutes south). The food scene leans southern with serious Cuban influence. Cooler in summer than the rest of the state.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,527/mo
$1,070/mo less than Santa Rosa (70%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$289k
$529k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,806/mo
Tallahassee has $1,845/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
186 days
68 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
35 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Tallahassee has 7 more days above 95°F each year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
58 / 100
11.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
7 routes
3 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
393k metro
Santa Rosa has 2.0x fewer events per month than Tallahassee.
the verdict
3
Santa Rosa
categories won
5
Tallahassee
categories won
Tallahassee wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
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