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 Portola Valley, CA 94028

Portola Valley: median income $250,000+*, home value $2M+*, $1,573/sq ft, 18-minute commute.

TownSimilarMiles awayMedian incomeHome value$/sq ftWhat’s different
Santa Barbara, CA 93108 90%249$230,419$2M+*$1,802 larger
Atherton, CA 94027 79%6$250,000+*$2M+*$2,451 younger residents · 5 min longer commute
Sullivans Island, SC 29482 76%2,398$192,813$2M+*$1,204 lower income ($57K less) · smaller · newer homes
Los Angeles, CA 90077 70%309$206,319$2M+*$970 lower income ($44K less) · younger residents · 8 min longer commute
Los Altos, CA 94024 70%7$250,000+*$2M+*$1,924 larger · younger residents · 6 min longer commute
Saratoga, CA 95070 70%13$250,000+*$2M+*$1,446 larger · younger residents · 8 min longer commute
Medina, WA 98039 68%709$250,000+*$2M+*$1,193 smaller · younger residents · more walkable
Los Altos, CA 94022 66%5$250,000+*$2M+*$1,793 larger · younger residents · 7 min longer commute
Los Gatos, CA 95030 65%16$250,000+*$2M+*$1,354 larger · younger residents · 11 min longer commute
Del Mar, CA 92014 62%414$198,823$2M+*$1,248 lower income ($51K less) · larger · more apartments and townhomes
Alamo, CA 94507 60%35$250,000+*$2M+*$875 larger · younger residents · 12 min longer commute
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253 59%635$184,979$2M+*$847 lower income ($65K less) · larger · younger residents
Pebble Beach, CA 93953 58%56$142,763$2M+*$1,305 lower income ($107K less) · smaller · older residents
Belvedere Tiburon, CA 94920 58%38$246,045$2M+*$1,376 larger · younger residents · 12 min longer commute
Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274 56%329$215,925$2M+*$961 lower income ($34K less) · larger · younger residents
Redwood City, CA 94062 56%6$233,262$2M+*$1,304 larger · younger residents · 9 min longer commute
Wilson, WY 83014 55%731$140,473$2M+*$1,274 lower income ($110K less) · smaller · newer homes
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 55%309$189,713$2M+*$1,150 lower income ($60K less) · larger · younger residents
Greenwich, CT 06831 54%2,578$227,159$1,696,000$735 cheaper homes ($304K less) · larger · younger residents
Water Mill, NY 11976 54%2,647$180,250$2M+*$943 lower income ($70K less) · smaller · newer homes
Beverly Hills, CA 90210 54%312$187,801$2M+*$1,334 lower income ($62K less) · larger · younger residents
Carmel, CA 93923 54%60$142,474$1,767,800$1,111 lower income ($108K less) · cheaper homes ($232K less) · larger
Lafayette, CA 94549 54%37$234,516$2M+*$855 larger · younger residents · 12 min longer commute
La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011 52%313$241,875$2M+*$1,007 larger · younger residents · 12 min longer commute
Weston, MA 02493 51%2,682$250,000+*$1,694,400$578 cheaper homes ($306K less) · larger · 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.

From OfferBacked · Free

Get matched with a local agent.

Buying or selling around Columbus, OH? Tell us what you need and when. No agents advertise here yet, so we’ll keep your request for up to 30 days and send it to local agents who join. No obligation, and you choose who to work with.

Get matched