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→Tampa
Tampa is the Cuban sandwich's other home (yes, there's a rivalry with Miami), with Ybor City's brick streets, rooster gangs, and cigar shops giving the city a flavor all its own. Bayshore Boulevard claims one of the longest continuous sidewalks in the country, perfect for sunset jogs. The beaches are a short drive west, the Lightning play hockey in the swamp, and the winters feel like other cities' best Aprils.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,996/mo
$601/mo less than Santa Rosa (30%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$374k
$444k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,337/mo
Tampa has $1,376/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
243 days
11 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
3 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 25 more days above 95°F each year than Tampa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
62 / 100
7.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
68 routes
64 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
3.3M metro
Santa Rosa has 48.0x fewer events per month than Tampa.
the verdict
2
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
Tampa
categories won
Tampa leads on money and wins overall.
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