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 Missouri City, TX 77459

Missouri City: median income $129,151, home value $386,900, $161/sq ft, 34-minute commute.

TownSimilarMiles awayMedian incomeHome value$/sq ftWhat’s different
Wake Forest, NC 27587 91%1,081$133,743$497,800$203 pricier homes ($111K more)
Fuquay Varina, NC 27526 90%1,058$110,017$414,000$205 pricier homes ($27K more)
Cumming, GA 30040 90%741$137,211$526,100$219 pricier homes ($139K more)
Saint Augustine, FL 32092 90%841$131,020$489,800$216 pricier homes ($103K more) · smaller
Marietta, GA 30064 89%709$122,195$466,700$194 pricier homes ($80K more) · smaller · older homes
Acworth, GA 30101 89%711$110,774$412,400$181 pricier homes ($26K more)
Clayton, NC 27527 88%1,082$115,035$390,200$179 smaller
Kennesaw, GA 30152 88%708$126,578$427,500$191 pricier homes ($41K more) · smaller · more apartments and townhomes
Fayetteville, GA 30215 88%703$118,436$413,300$183 pricier homes ($26K more) · smaller
Evans, GA 30809 88%835$125,272$367,900$167 smaller · 8 min shorter commute
South Lyon, MI 48178 87%1,108$131,558$410,500$203 smaller
Simpsonville, SC 29681 86%855$114,986$360,400$175 cheaper homes ($27K less) · 9 min shorter commute
Dacula, GA 30019 86%749$116,583$440,700$168 pricier homes ($54K more) · smaller
Cumming, GA 30041 86%743$152,564$574,300$219 pricier homes ($187K more)
Land O Lakes, FL 34638 86%794$123,899$433,600$198 pricier homes ($47K more) · smaller
Arlington, TN 38002 86%520$116,895$399,300$164 smaller · 7 min shorter commute
Fishers, IN 46037 86%899$141,810$434,200$165 pricier homes ($47K more) · smaller · 6 min shorter commute
Lexington, SC 29072 85%893$106,382$332,400$168 cheaper homes ($55K less) · 7 min shorter commute
Suwanee, GA 30024 85%743$143,879$551,000$207 pricier homes ($164K more)
Woodstock, GA 30188 85%719$106,844$431,100$223 pricier homes ($44K more)
Mount Juliet, TN 37122 85%695$112,967$486,500$236 pricier homes ($100K more)
Union, KY 41091 85%894$136,307$399,500$193 smaller · 6 min shorter commute
Pickerington, OH 43147 85%1,016$126,534$348,300$185 cheaper homes ($39K less) · smaller · 8 min shorter commute
Westfield, IN 46074 85%898$126,724$437,100$195 pricier homes ($50K more) · smaller · 8 min shorter commute
Bolingbrook, IL 60490 85%933$150,531$395,000$217 smaller

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.