Oakland, CA vs Santa Rosa, CA

Santa Rosa is moderately more affordable than Oakland, with a 10.9% lower cost of living index. Oakland scores 175 compared to 158 for Santa Rosa, where the US average is 100. This difference means residents of Oakland can expect to pay noticeably more for everyday expenses, housing, and services.

On the housing front, median rent in Oakland is $1,917/month compared to $2,084/month in Santa Rosa — a 8% difference. Interestingly, home values tell a different story: while Oakland has cheaper rent, Santa Rosa actually has lower median home values ($685,000 vs $924,700).

Median household income in Oakland is $97,369 compared to $97,410 in Santa Rosa. Looking at affordability, residents of Oakland spend roughly 23.6% of their income on rent, less than the 25.7% in Santa Rosa.

Climate-wise, both cities share similar average temperatures (58.1°F vs 58.1°F). Santa Rosa receives more rainfall at 33.8" per year compared to 18.7" in Oakland.