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→Toledo
Toledo is the Glass City, with a long history of glassmaking (Owens-Illinois, Libbey, Pilkington), and the Toledo Museum of Art's glass pavilion is genuinely world-class and free. The Mud Hens (yes, Klinger's team) play minor league ball downtown. Sitting between Detroit and Cleveland on Lake Erie, Toledo has serious walleye fishing and a real lake-town pace. Cheaper than its bigger neighbors.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,197/mo
$1,400/mo less than Santa Rosa (117%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$196k
$621k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
4.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,804/mo
Toledo has $1,843/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
159 days
95 fewer than Santa Rosa
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
28 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
38 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 28 more days above 95°F each year than Toledo. Toledo drops below 20°F on 38 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
55 / 100
14.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
4 routes
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
600k metro
Santa Rosa has 25.0x fewer events per month than Toledo.
the verdict
3
Santa Rosa
categories won
5
Toledo
categories won
Toledo wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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