Santa Rosa | World’s Best Cities

Santa Rosa

After suffering untold tragedy during the Tubbs wildfire in 2017, Santa Rosa is back stronger than ever, taking the top spot of all mid-sized cities in California. As the largest city in Northern California’s Wine Country, Santa Rosa enjoys excellent amenities both human and natural. It’s the kind of place that blends wine tasting and hiking with distinct museums, not more so than the Charles M. Schulz museum, dedicated to the author of the Peanuts comic strip. The city ranks #9 for Weather, #13 for Parks & Outdoors, and #14 for Shopping. Its high household income (#4) draws educated citizens (#12) contributing to a safe place to live and work, boasting the sixth-lowest crime rate in the nation for midsize cities. As Santa Rosa rebuilds the neighborhoods destroyed by fire, it is focusing on new development downtown near the SMART train station that connects the city to Marin County and ferries to San Francisco.