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 Columbia, VA 23038

Columbia: median income $87,083, home value $434,400, $190/sq ft, 32-minute commute.

TownSimilarMiles awayMedian incomeHome value$/sq ftWhat’s different
Deer Island, OR 97054 90%2,339$87,327$459,000$235 Very close on everything we compare
Dent, MN 56528 89%1,085$79,500$319,300$248 cheaper homes ($115K less)
Vergas, MN 56587 89%1,090$88,000$367,600$290 cheaper homes ($67K less)
Silverlake, WA 98645 89%2,332$101,429$509,500$220 pricier homes ($75K more) · larger · younger residents
Cushing, MN 56443 88%1,025$71,310$341,200$201 cheaper homes ($93K less)
Apple River, IL 61001 88%711$77,841$300,300$182 cheaper homes ($134K less)
Danby, VT 05739 86%475$75,000$296,500$206 cheaper homes ($138K less) · older homes
Good Hope, GA 30641 86%408$70,491$409,400$220 cheaper homes ($25K less)
New Haven, MI 48050 86%427$91,136$337,600$222 cheaper homes ($97K less)
Birchwood, WI 54817 86%880$83,036$275,000$229 cheaper homes ($159K less) · larger
Ottertail, MN 56571 86%1,071$85,865$363,100$291 cheaper homes ($71K less)
Harrisburg, MO 65256 86%777$92,061$302,500$183 cheaper homes ($132K less) · younger residents
Gordon, TX 76453 86%1,192$99,293$350,000$301 cheaper homes ($84K less)
Washington, NH 03280 85%495$90,096$355,200$289 cheaper homes ($79K less) · 5 min longer commute
Lovell, ME 04051 85%584$80,625$295,000$233 cheaper homes ($139K less) · younger residents
Hazelhurst, WI 54531 85%814$84,286$344,900$286 cheaper homes ($90K less)
Cascade, MT 59421 85%1,815$78,125$377,900$267 cheaper homes ($57K less)
Valparaiso, NE 68065 85%1,019$108,689$326,700$145 cheaper homes ($108K less)
Somerset, CA 95684 85%2,285$87,175$621,700$256 pricier homes ($187K more) · larger · more renters
Salcha, AK 99714 85%3,283$88,258$306,200$227 cheaper homes ($128K less)
Wayne, ME 04284 84%623$93,194$362,800$269 cheaper homes ($72K less)
Swanton, MD 21561 84%135$73,858$328,700$295 cheaper homes ($106K less) · larger
Bagdad, KY 40003 84%377$97,681$344,900$161 cheaper homes ($90K less) · younger residents
Oregonia, OH 45054 84%338$99,583$296,200$226 cheaper homes ($138K less) · larger · younger residents
Cobb, CA 95426 84%2,393$84,000$311,900$244 cheaper homes ($123K less) · more walkable · older homes

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.