Santa Rosa vs Windsor
Santa Rosa, California versus Windsor, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Santa Rosa and Windsor score about the same overall (50 vs 52 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Santa Rosa | Windsor |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $93k | $128k |
| Cost of Living | $75k | $75k |
| Home Value | $662k | $723k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.71% | 0.88% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 21.29% | 21.20% |
| Unemployment | 5.6% | 3.5% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 48°F | 48°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 65°F | 67°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 31.5 in | 33.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 284 days | 312 days |
| Summer Humidity | 53°F | 51°F |
| Comfortable Days | 150 days | 155 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 95.3 | 90.1 |
| Air Quality | 21 AQI | 16 AQI |
| School Quality | 85.7 | 70.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1030/100k | 945/100k |
| Property Crime | 1376/100k | 1150/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 178,221 | 26,320 |
| Median Age | 40.4 | 41.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.59 | 0.52 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 0.99 |
| Political Leaning | D+53 | D+53 |
| White (%) | 53.6% | 59.3% |
| Black (%) | 1.6% | 0.8% |
| Hispanic (%) | 34.0% | 32.1% |
| Asian (%) | 6.0% | 2.6% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.8% | 5.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 23 min | 24 min |
| Walkability | 14.4/20 | 14.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 57 mi | 65 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.4% | 94.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 19.30 | 17.86 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Santa Rosa or Windsor more affordable?
- Windsor has the lower cost of living: its index is $75k, compared with Santa Rosa's $75k and Windsor's $75k. Median rent is $2k in Santa Rosa versus $2k in Windsor.
- Is Santa Rosa or Windsor safer?
- Windsor has the lower violent crime rate. Santa Rosa reports 1030/100k and Windsor reports 945/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Santa Rosa or Windsor?
- The median home value is $662k in Santa Rosa and $723k in Windsor, so homes are more affordable in Santa Rosa.