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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 Los Altos, CA 94024

Los Altos: median income $250,000+*, home value $2M+*, $1,924/sq ft, 24-minute commute.

TownSimilarMiles awayMedian incomeHome value$/sq ftWhat’s different
Saratoga, CA 95070 90%7$250,000+*$2M+*$1,446 Very close on everything we compare
Los Altos, CA 94022 88%3$250,000+*$2M+*$1,793 more apartments and townhomes
Atherton, CA 94027 88%9$250,000+*$2M+*$2,451 smaller
Los Gatos, CA 95030 79%10$250,000+*$2M+*$1,354 smaller · more apartments and townhomes
La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011 78%307$241,875$2M+*$1,007 6 min longer commute
Santa Barbara, CA 93108 73%244$230,419$2M+*$1,802 smaller · older residents · more apartments and townhomes
Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274 72%324$215,925$2M+*$961 lower income ($34K less) · 6 min longer commute
San Marino, CA 91108 72%316$204,847$2M+*$1,113 lower income ($45K less) · smaller · older homes
Redwood City, CA 94062 71%12$233,262$2M+*$1,304 more renters
Portola Valley, CA 94028 70%7$250,000+*$2M+*$1,573 smaller · older residents · 6 min shorter commute
Medina, WA 98039 70%710$250,000+*$2M+*$1,193 smaller
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 69%303$189,713$2M+*$1,150 lower income ($60K less) · more apartments and townhomes
Los Angeles, CA 90077 68%303$206,319$2M+*$970 lower income ($44K less) · smaller · less walkable
Alamo, CA 94507 68%35$250,000+*$2M+*$875 smaller · 5 min longer commute · newer homes
San Jose, CA 95120 67%16$250,000+*$2M+*$983 larger · 9 min longer commute · newer homes
Lafayette, CA 94549 66%37$234,516$2M+*$855 5 min longer commute · more apartments and townhomes
Mill Valley, CA 94941 64%45$209,870$2M+*$1,120 lower income ($40K less) · more renters · more apartments and townhomes
San Carlos, CA 94070 62%14$240,074$2M+*$1,361 younger residents · more renters · more apartments and townhomes
Belvedere Tiburon, CA 94920 62%42$246,045$2M+*$1,376 smaller · 6 min longer commute · more renters
Ross, CA 94957 62%49$250,000+*$2M+*$1,516 smaller · younger residents · older homes
Fremont, CA 94539 61%14$243,552$1,950,900$1,034 cheaper homes ($49K less) · larger · 6 min longer commute
Riverside, CT 06878 60%2,576$250,000+*$1,968,800$1,000 cheaper homes ($31K less) · smaller · younger residents
Orinda, CA 94563 60%37$250,000+*$1,866,500$790 cheaper homes ($134K less) · 12 min longer commute
Beverly Hills, CA 90210 59%306$187,801$2M+*$1,334 lower income ($62K less) · more renters · more apartments and townhomes
Old Greenwich, CT 06870 58%2,577$250,000+*$1,788,700$952 cheaper homes ($211K less) · smaller · younger residents

* 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.

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