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 Sterling, AK 99672

Sterling: median income $100,642, home value $316,400, $364/sq ft, 33-minute commute.

TownSimilarMiles awayMedian incomeHome value$/sq ftWhat’s different
Center Barnstead, NH 03225 93%3,354$111,660$368,400$327 pricier homes ($52K more)
Voluntown, CT 06384 93%3,428$106,518$354,900$311 pricier homes ($39K more) · smaller
Star Prairie, WI 54026 93%2,548$95,833$342,200$277 pricier homes ($26K more) · smaller
Saint Charles, IA 50240 92%2,704$107,563$305,800$288 smaller
New Durham, NH 03855 91%3,352$100,194$339,400$450 Very close on everything we compare
Limerick, ME 04048 91%3,350$101,172$269,400$332 cheaper homes ($47K less)
Litchfield, OH 44253 91%3,111$91,500$283,300$232 cheaper homes ($33K less)
Milton, NH 03851 90%3,358$93,412$314,300$376 more apartments and townhomes · older homes
Shapleigh, ME 04076 90%3,356$88,140$356,000$365 pricier homes ($40K more) · older homes
Bowdoin, ME 04287 90%3,358$91,239$292,800$251 Very close on everything we compare
Woodford, VA 22580 90%3,430$93,603$353,800$248 pricier homes ($37K more)
Chapmansboro, TN 37035 90%3,195$94,068$325,100$243 Very close on everything we compare
Culleoka, TN 38451 90%3,248$90,163$341,600$281 pricier homes ($25K more)
Saginaw, MN 55779 90%2,472$93,792$282,900$263 cheaper homes ($34K less)
Silex, MO 63377 90%2,914$88,424$233,600$275 cheaper homes ($83K less)
Holt, MO 64048 90%2,784$103,131$337,900$255 Very close on everything we compare
North Berwick, ME 03906 89%3,372$105,156$432,900$325 pricier homes ($117K more)
Hampton, CT 06247 89%3,411$108,854$293,000$263 smaller
Cottontown, TN 37048 89%3,206$100,446$434,400$251 pricier homes ($118K more) · larger
Cross Plains, TN 37049 89%3,200$90,048$368,800$315 pricier homes ($52K more) · younger residents
Okeana, OH 45053 89%3,114$109,148$342,000$299 pricier homes ($26K more) · younger residents
Harris, MN 55032 89%2,512$104,554$380,900$271 pricier homes ($65K more)
Limington, ME 04049 88%3,352$84,675$295,600$257 Very close on everything we compare
Steep Falls, ME 04085 88%3,351$92,246$288,600$253 cheaper homes ($28K less) · older homes
Chaplin, CT 06235 88%3,407$98,059$256,300$272 cheaper homes ($60K less) · smaller · older homes

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.