OfferBackedBuyer Tools
Step 1 · Thinking about buying

Where are towns like the one I love?

Enter a town you like, or the one you’re leaving, and find the places most like it: similar incomes, home prices, commute, age of homes and more. Look nearby, in other states or only where homes cost less.

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Towns most like Short Hills, NJ 07078

Short Hills: median income $250,000+*, home value $1,679,200, $723/sq ft, 43-minute commute.

TownSimilarMiles awayMedian incomeHome value$/sq ftWhat’s different
Darien, CT 06820 92%50$250,000+*$1,822,400$811 pricier homes ($143K more) · larger
Westport, CT 06880 87%58$250,000+*$1,402,100$642 cheaper homes ($277K less) · larger
Orinda, CA 94563 87%2,534$250,000+*$1,866,500$790 pricier homes ($187K more) · older residents · 7 min shorter commute
Norwalk, CT 06853 86%52$250,000+*$1,610,200$752 cheaper homes ($69K less) · smaller
New Canaan, CT 06840 82%52$250,000+*$1,611,900$654 cheaper homes ($67K less) · more apartments and townhomes
Chappaqua, NY 10514 82%42$250,000+*$1,124,300$551 cheaper homes ($555K less) · 6 min longer commute
Manhasset, NY 11030 82%34$234,966$1,766,500$911 pricier homes ($87K more) · more walkable
Glencoe, IL 60022 81%702$250,000+*$1,392,900$503 cheaper homes ($286K less) · smaller · 6 min shorter commute
Riverside, CT 06878 78%44$250,000+*$1,968,800$1,000 pricier homes ($290K more) · smaller · 6 min shorter commute
Bedford, NY 10506 76%48$250,000+*$1,175,500$528 cheaper homes ($504K less) · smaller · less walkable
New Rochelle, NY 10804 76%32$250,000+*$927,000$524 cheaper homes ($752K less)
Roslyn, NY 11576 76%36$216,250$1,214,400$643 lower income ($34K less) · cheaper homes ($465K less) · older residents
Armonk, NY 10504 74%43$250,000+*$1,243,100$531 cheaper homes ($436K less) · smaller · newer homes
Berkeley, CA 94708 73%2,538$234,923$1,593,000$934 cheaper homes ($86K less) · older residents · 6 min shorter commute
Scarsdale, NY 10583 72%33$250,000+*$1,183,200$648 cheaper homes ($496K less) · larger · more apartments and townhomes
Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724 72%47$250,000+*$1,641,000$736 cheaper homes ($38K less) · smaller · 8 min shorter commute
Gladwyne, PA 19035 71%69$250,000+*$1,477,200$417 cheaper homes ($202K less) · smaller · 7 min shorter commute
Cohasset, MA 02025 70%209$199,306$1,318,900$546 lower income ($51K less) · cheaper homes ($360K less) · smaller
Katonah, NY 10536 70%50$250,000+*$867,500$444 cheaper homes ($812K less)
Rye, NY 10580 70%37$250,000+*$1,906,900$805 pricier homes ($228K more) · more renters · more apartments and townhomes
Wellesley Hills, MA 02481 69%192$250,000+*$1,694,600$672 15 min shorter commute
Old Greenwich, CT 06870 69%45$250,000+*$1,788,700$952 pricier homes ($110K more) · smaller · 10 min shorter commute
Dover, MA 02030 68%188$250,000+*$1,340,300$464 cheaper homes ($339K less) · smaller · 8 min shorter commute
Southport, CT 06890 68%61$218,841$1,212,500$550 lower income ($31K less) · cheaper homes ($467K less) · smaller
Syosset, NY 11791 67%43$202,962$937,700$606 lower income ($47K less) · cheaper homes ($742K less) · larger

* The Census Bureau doesn’t publish exact figures above $250,000 for household income, $2,000,000 for home values or $3,500 for monthly rent; it reports them as “or more.”

Similarity compares income, home value, price per sq ft, population, age, commute, education, walkability, owner share, single-family share and age of homes. Click a town to see its housing market. Set your own criteria with the town finder.

Finding towns like the one you love

Maybe you grew up somewhere you loved and want something like it closer to a new job. Maybe the town you want is out of reach and you’re looking for a cheaper version of it. Or you’re moving across the country and want to know which places will feel familiar. This tool starts from a town you know and finds the places most like it.

How we measure similarity

We compare eleven things for every ZIP code: median household income, median home value, price per square foot from recent sales, population, median age, average commute, the share of adults with a bachelor’s degree, walkability, the share of homes that are owner-occupied, the share that are single-family homes, and the median year homes were built. Income and home values count most, because they shape what a place costs and feels like day to day.

Each trait is put on the same scale, so a $50,000 difference in home value and a five-minute difference in commute can be compared fairly. The result is a similarity score: towns in the 90s are close matches on nearly everything, and scores in the 70s are similar with a few clear differences. For each match we list the biggest differences, like cheaper homes, a longer commute or more single-family homes.

Where to look

  • Anywhere shows the closest matches nationwide.
  • Same state or other states keeps the search where you need it.
  • Within a distance finds alternatives near a town you’re priced out of.
  • At least a distance away finds the same kind of place somewhere new.

Tick “only towns where homes cost less” to find more affordable versions of the place you like.

What it can’t tell you

Numbers can’t capture everything that makes a place feel like home: a walkable downtown, the schools, the views or the people. Use the matches as a short list, then visit. Click any town to see its housing market, including how competitive it is and how fast homes are selling.