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 Olympic Valley, CA 96146

Olympic Valley: median income $160,833, home value $1,455,100, $817/sq ft, 20-minute commute.

TownSimilarMiles awayMedian incomeHome value$/sq ftWhat’s different
Zephyr Cove, NV 89448 76%19$137,586$1,369,100$833 cheaper homes ($86K less) · older residents
Snowmass, CO 81654 73%704$141,111$1,122,000$1,462 cheaper homes ($333K less) · 7 min longer commute
Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480 70%2,352$172,500$1,131,800$998 cheaper homes ($323K less) · larger · older residents
Montauk, NY 11954 69%2,520$142,961$1,356,600$1,185 cheaper homes ($99K less) · larger · younger residents
Folly Beach, SC 29439 66%2,278$137,396$1,043,200$781 cheaper homes ($412K less) · older residents · 7 min longer commute
Belleair Beach, FL 33786 63%2,268$163,125$1,053,000$593 cheaper homes ($402K less) · older residents · 6 min longer commute
Sun Valley, ID 83353 63%435$126,645$952,100$1,003 lower income ($34K less) · cheaper homes ($503K less) · older residents
Big Sky, MT 59716 62%617$141,716$1,094,900$926 cheaper homes ($360K less) · larger · younger residents
Wilson, WY 83014 62%568$140,473$2M+*$1,274 pricier homes ($545K more) · larger · more single-family homes
Incline Village, NV 89451 62%14$166,509$1,461,200$763 larger · more walkable
Park City, UT 84060 61%472$128,295$1,795,000$1,041 lower income ($33K less) · pricier homes ($340K more) · larger
Princeville, HI 96722 61%2,585$100,938$1,431,600$974 lower income ($60K less) · larger · more apartments and townhomes
Girdwood, AK 99587 61%1,946$163,704$630,200$575 cheaper homes ($825K less) · larger · 8 min longer commute
Byfield, MA 01922 60%2,545$142,207$804,900$375 cheaper homes ($650K less) · larger · more single-family homes
Minturn, CO 81645 58%736$102,039$1,089,600$847 lower income ($59K less) · cheaper homes ($366K less) · younger residents
Isle Of Palms, SC 29451 57%2,283$156,979$1,581,300$975 pricier homes ($126K more) · larger · 8 min longer commute
Cumberland Foreside, ME 04110 56%2,568$194,205$923,600$428 higher income ($33K more) · cheaper homes ($532K less) · older residents
Rye, NH 03870 55%2,550$140,938$990,700$601 cheaper homes ($464K less) · larger · 9 min longer commute
Monmouth Beach, NJ 07750 55%2,428$150,188$995,000$636 cheaper homes ($460K less) · larger · older residents
Westhampton, NY 11977 55%2,487$151,375$1,077,200$568 cheaper homes ($378K less) · larger · older residents
Rosemary Beach, FL 32461 55%2,021$145,706$1,095,100$630 cheaper homes ($360K less) · larger · older residents
Essex, MA 01929 54%2,555$156,442$902,000$416 cheaper homes ($553K less) · larger · younger residents
Westhampton Beach, NY 11978 54%2,488$125,179$1,054,000$822 lower income ($36K less) · cheaper homes ($401K less) · larger
Salisbury, CT 06068 52%2,431$123,552$842,200$461 lower income ($37K less) · cheaper homes ($613K less) · larger
Breckenridge, CO 80424 52%757$120,907$1,034,600$830 lower income ($40K less) · cheaper homes ($421K 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.