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 Fremont, CA 94539

Fremont: median income $243,552, home value $1,950,900, $1,034/sq ft, 30-minute commute.

TownSimilarMiles awayMedian incomeHome value$/sq ftWhat’s different
Mercer Island, WA 98040 82%694$219,069$2M+*$799 pricier homes ($49K more) · smaller · 6 min shorter commute
Bellevue, WA 98006 77%694$198,150$1,388,500$592 lower income ($45K less) · cheaper homes ($562K less)
Old Greenwich, CT 06870 76%2,565$250,000+*$1,788,700$952 cheaper homes ($162K less) · smaller · older homes
Greenwich, CT 06831 73%2,560$227,159$1,696,000$735 cheaper homes ($255K less) · smaller · less walkable
Mc Lean, VA 22101 72%2,407$250,000+*$1,449,900$478 cheaper homes ($501K less) · smaller
Wellesley, MA 02482 71%2,664$226,250$1,352,500$680 cheaper homes ($598K less) · smaller · older homes
Lexington, MA 02421 70%2,666$227,813$1,205,700$558 cheaper homes ($745K less) · smaller · older homes
Sammamish, WA 98074 69%698$244,362$1,366,900$554 cheaper homes ($584K less) · smaller · less walkable
Riverside, CT 06878 68%2,564$250,000+*$1,968,800$1,000 smaller · 6 min longer commute · more single-family homes
Rye, NY 10580 68%2,559$250,000+*$1,906,900$805 cheaper homes ($44K less) · smaller · 9 min longer commute
New Canaan, CT 06840 67%2,567$250,000+*$1,611,900$654 cheaper homes ($339K less) · smaller · 8 min longer commute
Lexington, MA 02420 66%2,666$245,031$1,200,300$550 cheaper homes ($751K less) · smaller · older homes
Darien, CT 06820 66%2,569$250,000+*$1,822,400$811 cheaper homes ($129K less) · smaller · 9 min longer commute
Bethesda, MD 20817 65%2,407$249,332$1,183,600$422 cheaper homes ($767K less)
Arlington, VA 22207 65%2,410$245,745$1,257,900$511 cheaper homes ($693K less) · 6 min shorter commute · older homes
Bellevue, WA 98008 65%697$184,583$1,206,200$671 lower income ($59K less) · cheaper homes ($745K less) · smaller
Needham, MA 02492 64%2,667$226,645$1,218,800$564 cheaper homes ($732K less) · smaller · older homes
Sammamish, WA 98075 64%696$250,000+*$1,599,100$561 cheaper homes ($352K less) · smaller · more single-family homes
Winchester, MA 01890 63%2,670$230,198$1,215,200$534 cheaper homes ($736K less) · smaller · older homes
Chatham, NJ 07928 63%2,526$220,982$1,024,100$676 cheaper homes ($927K less) · smaller · 5 min longer commute
Concord, MA 01742 62%2,658$195,125$1,218,100$517 lower income ($48K less) · cheaper homes ($733K less) · smaller
Westport, CT 06880 61%2,575$250,000+*$1,402,100$642 cheaper homes ($549K less) · smaller · 11 min longer commute
Bethesda, MD 20816 61%2,409$232,656$1,217,200$495 cheaper homes ($734K less) · smaller · older homes
Honolulu, HI 96821 61%2,410$174,938$1,563,300$931 lower income ($69K less) · cheaper homes ($388K less) · smaller
Hingham, MA 02043 60%2,685$178,390$1,134,200$550 lower income ($65K less) · cheaper homes ($817K less) · smaller

* 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.