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 Browns Valley, CA 95918

Browns Valley: median income $56,750, home value $579,800, $201/sq ft, 36-minute commute.

TownSimilarMiles awayMedian incomeHome value$/sq ftWhat’s different
Dauphin Island, AL 36528 77%1,973$67,206$432,200$312 cheaper homes ($148K less)
Jefferson, NH 03583 75%2,552$67,188$296,700$196 cheaper homes ($283K less) · smaller · younger residents
Huddleston, VA 24104 75%2,256$65,738$339,300$308 cheaper homes ($241K less) · larger · younger residents
Garden Valley, ID 83622 75%437$65,625$576,800$332 8 min shorter commute
Warwick, MD 21912 73%2,406$69,868$391,700$259 cheaper homes ($188K less) · younger residents · 6 min shorter commute
Star Tannery, VA 22654 73%2,275$74,721$417,200$296 cheaper homes ($163K less) · smaller · younger residents
Hackensack, MN 56452 73%1,445$62,941$352,700$300 cheaper homes ($227K less) · 8 min shorter commute
Wellington, NV 89444 73%110$58,726$464,000$283 cheaper homes ($116K less) · larger · 6 min longer commute
Quilcene, WA 98376 73%595$57,250$344,700$306 cheaper homes ($235K less) · 8 min longer commute
Horseshoe Bend, ID 83629 72%416$72,500$398,000$296 cheaper homes ($182K less) · younger residents · more renters
Happy Jack, AZ 86024 72%637$73,421$526,000$321 cheaper homes ($54K less) · smaller
Urbanna, VA 23175 71%2,398$66,858$369,000$215 cheaper homes ($211K less) · more renters · older homes
Hampshire, TN 38461 71%1,872$66,406$418,300$256 cheaper homes ($162K less) · younger residents
Danbury, WI 54830 71%1,537$66,941$267,400$229 cheaper homes ($312K less) · larger
Kinsale, VA 22488 70%2,390$45,313$431,300$232 cheaper homes ($149K less) · more renters
Cushing, MN 56443 70%1,429$71,310$341,200$201 cheaper homes ($239K less) · younger residents · 6 min shorter commute
Anderson Island, WA 98303 70%548$80,282$546,300$302 cheaper homes ($34K less)
Columbia, VA 23038 69%2,314$87,083$434,400$190 higher income ($30K more) · cheaper homes ($145K less) · younger residents
Oriental, NC 28571 69%2,450$63,393$372,500$257 cheaper homes ($207K less) · larger · 8 min shorter commute
Lake Lure, NC 28746 69%2,150$70,469$470,700$313 cheaper homes ($109K less) · larger
Good Hope, GA 30641 69%2,114$70,491$409,400$220 cheaper homes ($170K less) · younger residents · 9 min shorter commute
Pittsburg, NH 03592 68%2,548$61,094$279,500$293 cheaper homes ($300K less)
Austin, CO 81410 68%717$67,826$366,700$213 cheaper homes ($213K less) · 12 min shorter commute · more renters
Morganton, GA 30560 67%2,054$66,016$321,300$271 cheaper homes ($259K less) · larger · younger residents
Palmyra, TN 37142 67%1,846$59,083$267,400$254 cheaper homes ($312K less) · younger residents · more apartments and townhomes

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.