| Measure | Santa RosaCalifornia, United States Remove Santa Rosa | Santa CruzCalifornia, United States Remove Santa Cruz |
|---|---|---|
| Scores (out of 10) | ||
| Overall score | 6.0 | 5.0 |
| Connector Score | 7.7 | 7.1 |
| Safety | 7.3 | 4.8 |
| Affordability | 2.4 | 1.3 |
| Transportation | 7.0 | 4.5 |
| Car-free friendliness | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| Walkability | 5.0 | 4.7 |
| Things to do | 6.4 | 5.6 |
| Food & dining | 4.9 | 4.4 |
| Places to stay | 5.9 | 5.4 |
| Nature & outdoors | 7.5 | 7.0 |
| Scenic value | 7.3 | 8.5 |
| Family friendliness | 5.5 | 5.0 |
| Solo-traveler friendliness | 5.5 | 4.6 |
| Nightlife | 4.7 | 3.8 |
| Remote-work friendliness | 4.9 | 4.5 |
| Road-trip convenience | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Train-trip convenience | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Bus-trip convenience | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Cost (per person per day, USD) | ||
| Budget | $168 | $180 |
| Mid-range | $263 | $283 |
| Luxury | $523 | $509 |
| Living there | ||
| Cost of living index (national = 100) | 145 | 170 |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent | $2,200 | $2,771 |
| Median home price | $713,900 | $1,209,000 |
| Population | 179K | 62K |
| Getting there | ||
| Accessible by | Drive Ferry Airport | Drive |
| Car recommended | — | — |
| Travel time from Santa Rosa | — | 2 h 34 min details |
| Character | ||
| Best for | Outdoors, Wine country | Beaches |
| Known for | Mountains & hiking, National & state parks, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Wineries & breweries, Live music | Beaches, Mountains & hiking, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Live music |
| When to go | Peak: Harvest season and summer weekends push… | Peak: Summer weekends and holidays are highes… |
Scores and costs are estimates from public data and our own research; check the city pages for sources and dates.