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 San Jose, CA 95120

San Jose: median income $250,000+*, home value $2M+*, $983/sq ft, 33-minute commute.

TownSimilarMiles awayMedian incomeHome value$/sq ftWhat’s different
Riverside, CT 06878 79%2,568$250,000+*$1,968,800$1,000 cheaper homes ($31K less) · smaller · younger residents
Greenwich, CT 06831 78%2,564$227,159$1,696,000$735 cheaper homes ($304K less) · smaller · less walkable
Westport, CT 06880 76%2,579$250,000+*$1,402,100$642 cheaper homes ($598K less) · 8 min longer commute
Old Greenwich, CT 06870 75%2,569$250,000+*$1,788,700$952 cheaper homes ($211K less) · smaller · younger residents
Darien, CT 06820 73%2,573$250,000+*$1,822,400$811 cheaper homes ($178K less) · smaller · younger residents
Honolulu, HI 96821 73%2,408$174,938$1,563,300$931 lower income ($75K less) · cheaper homes ($437K less) · smaller
Mc Lean, VA 22101 72%2,409$250,000+*$1,449,900$478 cheaper homes ($550K less) · 6 min shorter commute
Bellevue, WA 98006 72%715$198,150$1,388,500$592 lower income ($52K less) · cheaper homes ($612K less) · 6 min shorter commute
New Canaan, CT 06840 70%2,571$250,000+*$1,611,900$654 cheaper homes ($388K less) · smaller · younger residents
Rumson, NJ 07760 70%2,555$226,635$1,338,400$858 cheaper homes ($662K less) · smaller · 10 min longer commute
Lexington, MA 02420 69%2,671$245,031$1,200,300$550 cheaper homes ($800K less) · smaller · older homes
Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 69%2,551$230,611$1,401,600$625 cheaper homes ($598K less) · smaller
Manhasset, NY 11030 69%2,566$234,966$1,766,500$911 cheaper homes ($234K less) · smaller · 8 min longer commute
Wellesley, MA 02482 68%2,669$226,250$1,352,500$680 cheaper homes ($648K less) · smaller · older homes
Needham, MA 02492 68%2,672$226,645$1,218,800$564 cheaper homes ($781K less) · smaller · older homes
Sammamish, WA 98075 66%717$250,000+*$1,599,100$561 cheaper homes ($401K less) · younger residents · less walkable
Lexington, MA 02421 65%2,671$227,813$1,205,700$558 cheaper homes ($794K less) · smaller · more renters
Saddle River, NJ 07458 65%2,541$244,022$1,188,500$501 cheaper homes ($812K less) · smaller · less walkable
Sammamish, WA 98074 65%719$244,362$1,366,900$554 cheaper homes ($633K less) · younger residents · less walkable
Weston, MA 02493 64%2,668$250,000+*$1,694,400$578 cheaper homes ($306K less) · smaller · 6 min shorter commute
Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417 64%2,536$236,023$1,265,000$456 cheaper homes ($735K less) · smaller · less walkable
Rye, NY 10580 64%2,563$250,000+*$1,906,900$805 cheaper homes ($93K less) · smaller · younger residents
Winnetka, IL 60093 64%1,833$250,000+*$1,177,800$482 cheaper homes ($822K less) · smaller · older homes
Mercer Island, WA 98040 64%715$219,069$2M+*$799 lower income ($31K less) · 10 min shorter commute · more renters
Armonk, NY 10504 63%2,561$250,000+*$1,243,100$531 cheaper homes ($757K less) · smaller · less walkable

* 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.