Moving to Santa Rosa...HELP! (San Francisco, Napa: house, rent, income)

[elcapitan]

My wife and I, as well as our two small children are considering moving to Santa Rosa from Eugene Oregon. I was born and raised in the Napa Valley and left when I was sixteen (now in mid-twenties), so I am not all that familiar with current day Santa Rosa.

Perhaps some people could chime in on their thoughts:

1. Has Santa Rosa changed for the better or worse over the
last ten years?

2. Is it a good place to raise children? i.e. good schools and
parks, low crime, ample childcare

3. Do the professional salaries match the cost of living?
(Wife and I are both CPA's.)

4. Are employment prospects good in Santa Rosa, or do most
professionals commute to the city?

5. Since Eugene Oregon basically has all of the above, is
there anything about Santa Rosa that would make the
move worthwhile? (BESIDES the weather )

6. What type of neighborhood would $550k buy into?

We truly appreciate any input....If anyone is curious, feel free to ask us about Eugene!

[elcapitan]

Anybody?

[elcapitan]

Still nobody?

[mono#9]

wow--I guess not many Santa Rosians come to this forum. I live in s. cal and don't know much about SR, but you might want to check out this from today's postings
A report of the best and worst downtowns (website)
Tantalust

Santa Rosa is listed as the fifth best downtown area for mid-sized CA cities. Sounds good!

[skytrekker]

Ok

I am 3000 miles away- but have visited the city much. Sonoma county and Santa Rosa have grown much since you left.

The cities rapid growth has changed it from a pleasant wine country town of 25 years ago to a place with a population of about 150,000. Such growth anywhere can have pluses and negatives. I cannot make an objective evaluation about the schools. Crime has generally risen from 1999-2005 according to City data- being now slightly above the national average in 2005. There has been some rise in gang activity in recent years.

The city I found has a nice park system.

Living costs far exceed household income; single family homes average over 600K median. 550K will likely buy a starter home in an average area.

CPA's and other persons with training in finances are in demand in SR.

Since I have been to both Eugene and Santa Rosa- its a tough pick for me. Eugene is located in a beautiful area- I love the green, the recreational opportunities and the 'quirky' culture. I found Eugene to have a more laid back less stressful way of living.

Santa Rosa has a nicer climate- with less rain in the winter. There is much to do Santa Rosa - and its proximity to San Francisco is a real plus. The city is attractive, and the nearby wineries, Redwoods and coastline are enhance the outdoor opportunities.

Traffic in Santa Rosa can be a real problem, especially on US 101, since its still four lanes, and the traffic increase over the years make the freeway obsolete, thus very congested at times. When I visited a few years ago, the county and city where considering widening this road- I have no information if this was ever accomplished-since there was strong opposition to this plan.

Hope this helps!

[CAtoGA]

Sorry, I wasn't able to get to the computer the last couple of days. Growth in the Santa Rosa/Sonoma County area has been tremendous in the past 10 years. We moved to Sebastopol 11 years ago and it now feels like we're living in a sardine can. There's people everywhere! Prices are pretty high, so I'm not sure what you could get for $550.

I also can't really help with info on the CPA thing. I do know that the city has changed. I grew up coming to Santa Rosa every summer. My cousin and I would ride our bikes all over the place. Now it's just too busy. Too many cars, too many people. You get traffic at any time of day.

I wish you the best of luck with whatever you decide to do. I personally am trying to get out of CA.