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 Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

Pacific Palisades: median income $189,713, home value $2M+*, $1,150/sq ft, 27-minute commute.

TownSimilarMiles awayMedian incomeHome value$/sq ftWhat’s different
Mercer Island, WA 98040 84%953$219,069$2M+*$799 higher income ($29K more) · more renters
Greenwich, CT 06831 79%2,477$227,159$1,696,000$735 higher income ($37K more) · cheaper homes ($304K less) · less walkable
Honolulu, HI 96821 79%2,539$174,938$1,563,300$931 cheaper homes ($437K less) · more single-family homes
Wellesley, MA 02482 77%2,593$226,250$1,352,500$680 higher income ($37K more) · cheaper homes ($648K less) · smaller
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253 74%379$184,979$2M+*$847 8 min shorter commute · less walkable · newer homes
Old Greenwich, CT 06870 72%2,482$250,000+*$1,788,700$952 higher income ($60K more) · cheaper homes ($211K less) · smaller
Bellevue, WA 98006 72%952$198,150$1,388,500$592 cheaper homes ($612K less) · larger · younger residents
Bellevue, WA 98008 72%955$184,583$1,206,200$671 cheaper homes ($794K less) · younger residents
Lexington, MA 02421 69%2,597$227,813$1,205,700$558 higher income ($38K more) · cheaper homes ($794K less)
Cos Cob, CT 06807 69%2,480$192,115$1,443,200$722 cheaper homes ($557K less) · smaller · younger residents
Newton Center, MA 02459 68%2,599$227,594$1,450,900$586 higher income ($38K more) · cheaper homes ($549K less) · older homes
Riverside, CT 06878 68%2,481$250,000+*$1,968,800$1,000 higher income ($60K more) · cheaper homes ($31K less) · smaller
Concord, MA 01742 66%2,589$195,125$1,218,100$517 cheaper homes ($782K less) · 6 min longer commute · less walkable
Lexington, MA 02420 66%2,597$245,031$1,200,300$550 higher income ($55K more) · cheaper homes ($800K less)
Charlotte, NC 28207 66%2,132$217,204$1,409,300$595 higher income ($27K more) · cheaper homes ($591K less) · smaller
Needham, MA 02492 65%2,596$226,645$1,218,800$564 higher income ($37K more) · cheaper homes ($781K less) · younger residents
Winchester, MA 01890 64%2,601$230,198$1,215,200$534 higher income ($40K more) · cheaper homes ($785K less) · younger residents
Rye, NY 10580 64%2,476$250,000+*$1,906,900$805 higher income ($60K more) · cheaper homes ($93K less) · younger residents
Mc Lean, VA 22101 64%2,302$250,000+*$1,449,900$478 higher income ($60K more) · cheaper homes ($550K less)
Isle Of Palms, SC 29451 64%2,223$156,979$1,581,300$975 lower income ($33K less) · cheaper homes ($419K less) · smaller
Hingham, MA 02043 63%2,615$178,390$1,134,200$550 cheaper homes ($866K less) · 9 min longer commute
Incline Village, NV 89451 63%368$166,509$1,461,200$763 cheaper homes ($539K less) · smaller · 9 min shorter commute
Manhasset, NY 11030 62%2,477$234,966$1,766,500$911 higher income ($45K more) · cheaper homes ($234K less) · 14 min longer commute
Arlington, VA 22205 62%2,304$201,094$1,092,800$542 cheaper homes ($907K less) · younger residents · older homes
Arlington, VA 22207 62%2,305$245,745$1,257,900$511 higher income ($56K more) · 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.