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→York
York calls itself the White Rose City, claims to be America's first capital (Continental Congress met here briefly in 1777), and is the home of the Harley-Davidson assembly plant (factory tours available). The market houses in town go back over 100 years. The downtown is brick and walkable, the surrounding farm country is gorgeous, and the Susquehanna River is a quick drive east. Quietly historic.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,597/mo
$1,361/mo
$1,236/mo less than Santa Rosa (91%)
Median home price
Median home price
$817k
$310k
$507k less than Santa Rosa
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
3.1%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,961/mo
$6,717/mo
York has $1,756/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
4 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
27 days
days below 20°F per year
Santa Rosa has 24 more days above 95°F each year than York. York drops below 20°F on 27 more days per year than Santa Rosa.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
69 / 100
64 / 100
5.0 pts behind Santa Rosa
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
4 routes
12 routes
8 more direct routes than Santa Rosa
Metro size
Metro size
482k metro
465k metro
Santa Rosa and York have similar event volume.
the verdict
3
Santa Rosa
categories won
6
York
categories won
York wins on money. Santa Rosa has the edge on weather.
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