OfferBackedBuyer Tools
Step 1 · Thinking about buying

Which towns match what I’m looking for?

Pick states and how far from a city or ZIP code, then filter by prices, taxes, the housing market, commute, age of homes and more, or by what fits your budget. We’ll show the 25 best matches.

States (leave all unchecked for the whole country)
Distance
Filters (leave a box empty for no limit)
Prices and costs
Median household income
Top of the slider means $250,000+
Average household income
Top of the slider means $1,000,000+
Median home value
Top of the slider means $2,000,000+
Price per square foot
Top of the slider means $1,500+
Median rent
Top of the slider means $3,500+
Property tax rate (county average, %)
Price change vs. a year ago (%)
Housing market
Market type
Competition score (0–100)
Median days on market
Top of the slider means 120+
Homes sold over asking (%)
People and lifestyle
Population
Top of the slider means 100,000+
Median age
Average commute (minutes)
Work from home (%)
Top of the slider means 50%+
Adults with a bachelor’s degree (%)
Top of the slider means 90%+
Walkability (EPA, 1–20)
Homes with broadband internet (%)
Homes
Owner-occupied homes (%)
Single-family homes (%)
Median year built
Average household size
Vacant homes (%)
Top of the slider means 40%+
Natural hazards
FEMA National Risk Index: how much each hazard typically costs an area each year, compared with the rest of the country. Ratings average the census tracts in each ZIP code (or use the county where tract data isn’t loaded), so parts of a ZIP can be higher. For a specific home, check FEMA flood maps.
Loans and budget
FHA loan limit (1 unit)
Conforming loan limit (1 unit)
Only towns where the typical home fits my budget
Uses this week’s average rate, each county’s property tax rate, insurance and mortgage insurance, keeping housing plus debts at 36% of income, and compares with the median home value.
Reset
Your matches show up hereTry: within 50 miles of New York, NY, median income from $250,000 and price per square foot up to $350.Run that example →

Finding towns that fit

Most home searches start with a town you already know. The town finder works the other way: describe what you want, and it lists the places that match. You can combine any of the filters, so a search like “within 50 miles of New York, median household income of at least $250,000, and price per square foot under $350” narrows thousands of ZIP codes to a short list in a second.

The filters

  • Prices and costs: median household income, median home value, price per square foot from recent sales, median rent, the county’s average property tax rate, and how much prices per square foot changed over the past year.
  • Housing market: buyer’s, balanced or seller’s market, our 0–100 competition score, days on market and the share of homes selling over asking. Useful if you’d rather avoid bidding wars.
  • People and lifestyle: population, median age, average commute time, the share of people working from home, the share of adults with a bachelor’s degree, home broadband, and walkability (the EPA’s National Walkability Index, from 1 to 20, based on how close homes are to shops, jobs, transit and connected streets).
  • Homes: the share of homes that are owner-occupied or single-family, the median year built, household size and the vacancy rate.
  • Loans and budget: FHA and conforming loan limits for the county, and an “only what I can afford” check that uses your income, down payment and debts with this week’s rate and each county’s tax rate.

Distance

Enter a ZIP code or a city and state, like “Princeton, NJ”, and a number of miles. Distances are straight-line miles, so drive times will be longer. Nicknames like NYC, Philly and DC work too.

Reading the results

Each result is a ZIP code labeled with its postal town name, so a big city can appear several times. Results add a column for each filter you use. With a distance set they’re sorted closest first; with a budget, by the most room in your budget; otherwise by income. Click a town to open its housing market page.

Census figures are five-year estimates, which smooth out swings but can lag recent changes. Market figures cover the last three months of sales and update monthly.