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.

Reset

Towns most like Stony Brook, NY 11790

Stony Brook: median income $171,133, home value $624,000, $422/sq ft, 25-minute commute.

TownSimilarMiles awayMedian incomeHome value$/sq ftWhat’s different
Wenham, MA 01984 73%165$194,781$885,400$436 pricier homes ($261K more) · smaller · older residents
Cumberland Center, ME 04021 60%247$172,468$579,000$388 cheaper homes ($45K less) · smaller · older residents
Colorado Springs, CO 80927 60%1,667$163,803$587,100$210 cheaper homes ($37K less) · smaller · older residents
Villanova, PA 19085 58%131$250,000+*$1,056,000$439 higher income ($79K more) · pricier homes ($432K more) · smaller
Salt Lake City, UT 84109 58%2,007$145,034$731,200$343 lower income ($26K less) · pricier homes ($107K more) · older residents
Oakland, NJ 07436 57%58$161,971$591,000$390 cheaper homes ($33K less) · smaller · older residents
Medway, MA 02053 56%123$173,750$617,300$337 smaller · older residents · 6 min longer commute
Fairfield, CT 06824 56%20$193,300$869,100$526 pricier homes ($245K more) · larger · older residents
Randolph, NJ 07869 56%76$169,497$665,700$351 pricier homes ($42K more) · older residents · 6 min longer commute
Norwell, MA 02061 55%147$188,699$865,700$425 pricier homes ($242K more) · smaller · older residents
South Walpole, MA 02071 55%126$213,885$651,800$374 higher income ($43K more) · pricier homes ($28K more) · smaller
Denville, NJ 07834 55%71$156,902$555,600$418 cheaper homes ($68K less) · older residents
Severna Park, MD 21146 55%221$172,122$659,800$317 pricier homes ($36K more) · older residents · newer homes
Stirling, NJ 07980 54%73$162,955$689,200$446 pricier homes ($65K more) · smaller · older residents
Birmingham, AL 35213 54%905$159,824$789,800$321 pricier homes ($166K more) · older residents · 7 min shorter commute
Holden, MA 01520 53%119$148,125$478,300$296 cheaper homes ($146K less) · older residents
Topsfield, MA 01983 53%164$195,718$853,400$402 pricier homes ($229K more) · smaller · older residents
Pennington, NJ 08534 53%96$175,573$573,000$324 cheaper homes ($51K less) · smaller · older residents
Arnold, MD 21012 53%220$139,432$563,800$270 lower income ($32K less) · cheaper homes ($60K less) · older residents
Hanover, NH 03755 52%198$165,884$814,600$458 pricier homes ($191K more) · smaller · 5 min shorter commute
Hillsdale, NJ 07642 52%48$186,688$677,500$447 pricier homes ($54K more) · smaller · older residents
Bernardsville, NJ 07924 52%77$236,042$785,100$472 higher income ($65K more) · pricier homes ($161K more) · smaller
Cincinnati, OH 45243 52%605$171,172$627,000$288 older residents
Mequon, WI 53097 52%779$135,929$499,800$266 lower income ($35K less) · cheaper homes ($124K less) · smaller
Lynnfield, MA 01940 51%156$173,214$905,400$418 pricier homes ($281K more) · smaller · older residents

* 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.