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 Lookout Mountain, TN 37350

Lookout Mountain: median income $201,000, home value $855,300, $392/sq ft, 19-minute commute.

TownSimilarMiles awayMedian incomeHome value$/sq ftWhat’s different
Gladstone, NJ 07934 82%703$245,429$845,500$451 higher income ($44K more) · smaller · 7 min longer commute
Birmingham, AL 35223 75%130$168,278$775,100$284 lower income ($33K less) · cheaper homes ($80K less) · larger
Huntington Woods, MI 48070 75%530$190,150$473,900$262 cheaper homes ($381K less) · larger
Terrace Park, OH 45174 72%293$193,750$603,800$359 cheaper homes ($252K less) · younger residents · 6 min longer commute
Minneapolis, MN 55424 72%804$250,000+*$992,600$415 higher income ($49K more) · pricier homes ($137K more) · larger
Purdys, NY 10578 70%770$250,000+*$615,600$401 higher income ($49K more) · cheaper homes ($240K less) · younger residents
Topsfield, MA 01983 68%936$195,718$853,400$402 larger · younger residents · 8 min longer commute
Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107 68%1,001$146,054$729,800$426 lower income ($55K less) · cheaper homes ($126K less) · larger
Essex Fells, NJ 07021 68%725$250,000+*$1,083,000$582 higher income ($49K more) · pricier homes ($228K more) · younger residents
Palisades, NY 10964 68%747$187,396$767,500$353 cheaper homes ($88K less) · smaller · 8 min longer commute
Pleasant Ridge, MI 48069 68%530$171,125$448,700$292 lower income ($30K less) · cheaper homes ($407K less) · younger residents
Leawood, KS 66206 68%580$174,394$672,100$289 lower income ($27K less) · cheaper homes ($183K less) · larger
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301 67%533$167,143$708,300$271 lower income ($34K less) · cheaper homes ($147K less) · larger
New Haven, CT 06525 66%802$188,750$588,100$261 cheaper homes ($267K less) · larger · 6 min longer commute
Franklin, MI 48025 66%532$185,000$544,500$246 cheaper homes ($311K less) · larger
Saint Louis, MO 63124 66%375$193,942$988,600$376 pricier homes ($133K more) · larger · more renters
Etna, NH 03750 65%923$250,000+*$881,000$423 higher income ($49K more) · pricier homes ($26K more) · smaller
Dorset, VT 05251 65%870$151,163$567,900$300 lower income ($50K less) · cheaper homes ($287K less) · younger residents
Bernardsville, NJ 07924 64%708$236,042$785,100$472 higher income ($35K more) · cheaper homes ($70K less) · larger
Millington, NJ 07946 64%709$208,587$801,700$417 cheaper homes ($54K less) · 11 min longer commute · newer homes
Saint Louis, MO 63131 64%377$225,493$778,100$283 cheaper homes ($77K less) · larger · newer homes
West Simsbury, CT 06092 62%825$204,458$486,900$254 cheaper homes ($368K less) · larger · younger residents
Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046 62%720$250,000+*$917,000$440 higher income ($49K more) · pricier homes ($62K more) · larger
Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677 62%742$213,981$946,400$468 pricier homes ($91K more) · larger · 14 min longer commute
Cincinnati, OH 45243 62%295$171,172$627,000$288 lower income ($30K less) · cheaper homes ($228K 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.