Cities Similar to Washington, DC

The top 10 most similar cities based on cost of living, home prices, rent, population, and region.

Cities similar to Washington, DC

1. Buffalo, NY

274,678 people · Northeast

96% similar

COL Index

N/A

Home Price

$188K

Rent

N/A

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2. Boston, MA

685,094 people · Northeast

95% similar

COL Index

149.0

Home Price

$961K

Rent

$2,500/mo

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3. Yonkers, NY

207,657 people · Northeast

95% similar

COL Index

N/A

Home Price

$648K

Rent

N/A

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4. Worcester, MA

207,621 people · Northeast

95% similar

COL Index

N/A

Home Price

$410K

Rent

N/A

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5. Providence, RI

190,792 people · Northeast

94% similar

COL Index

N/A

Home Price

$430K

Rent

N/A

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6. Rochester, NY

207,274 people · Northeast

94% similar

COL Index

N/A

Home Price

$198K

Rent

N/A

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7. Paterson, NJ

156,452 people · Northeast

94% similar

COL Index

N/A

Home Price

$532K

Rent

N/A

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8. Springfield, MA

153,672 people · Northeast

93% similar

COL Index

N/A

Home Price

$294K

Rent

N/A

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9. Bridgeport, CT

148,028 people · Northeast

93% similar

COL Index

N/A

Home Price

$307K

Rent

N/A

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10. Stamford, CT

136,226 people · Northeast

93% similar

COL Index

N/A

Home Price

$609K

Rent

N/A

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How We Find Cities Similar to Washington

Our similarity algorithm compares Washington, DC against every other city in our database across multiple dimensions: cost of living index, median home price, average rent, population size, and geographic region. Each factor is weighted and normalized, then combined into a single similarity score from 0–100%.

Cities with high similarity scores share a comparable financial profile to Washington — meaning your dollar goes about as far, housing costs are in the same ballpark, and the overall lifestyle cost is similar. This is useful if you love Washington but want to explore other options with a similar feel and price point, or if you’re relocating and want to understand which cities offer a comparable standard of living.

Click on any city in the results to see a detailed cost of living comparison, including category-by-category breakdowns for housing, groceries, transportation, healthcare, and more. You can also adjust the search to find cities similar to any location in the United States.