SEATTLE, July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Seattle-based Walk Score® today announced that more than 10,000 real estate websites are using its neighborhood mapping and data services to market their properties.  This represents a 250 percent increase over the past year.

Walk Score delivers four million scores per day across their network of partner sites, making it the leading measure of neighborhood walkability.  Today's release of "America's Most Walkable Cities and Neighborhoods," which ranks the walkability of the 50 largest U.S. cities and their neighborhoods, marks another milestone for the company (see www.walkscore.com/press).

Rising gas prices and the quality of life benefits associated with walkable neighborhoods are driving demand for shorter commutes and homes and apartments with a higher Walk Score.

• Over three quarters of home shoppers rate being within a 30 minute commute to work as important, and two thirds of home shoppers rate being within an easy walk to grocery stores and restaurants as a key factor in deciding where to live.(i)
• Two thirds of Millennials say that living in a walkable community is important and one third will pay more for the ability to easily walk to shops, work and entertainment.(ii)
• Residents of walkable neighborhoods report being happier and healthier and more likely to volunteer in their communities and entertain friends at home.(iii)

"Walk Score provides personalized neighborhood information that shows what you can walk to from your home or apartment," said Walk Score CEO Josh Herst.  "Being able to walk out your door and be at your destination – whether that be your job, school, park, grocery store, or restaurant – is great for your wallet, health, environmental impact, and quality of life. Our real estate marketing tools help real estate professionals communicate that value to their clients."

Walk Score's suite of real estate marketing tools includes:

• The Walk Score Neighborhood Map – An interactive map widget that includes nearby amenities (restaurants, shopping, schools, etc.), commute times, and public transit.
• The Walk Score Neighborhood Flyer – A low-cost way to showcase what's best about a neighborhood, the Neighborhood Flyer is easy to customize, share online, and print for clients.
• Walk Score APIs – Enable software developers to integrate Walk Score and public transit data into their web and mobile applications.

"Walk Score is helping us to better meet Realtor®  and consumer demand for walkable places to live," said Russ Bergeron, CEO of MRED, the nation's largest MLS.  "Serving the Chicagoland area we know how important walkability is to the people who live here – whether they are in downtown Chicago, or in a small town like Naperville. When given the choice, most people prefer to be within walking distance of public transportation, restaurants, shops, and other local businesses.  And with gas prices at current levels, walkable neighborhoods and shorter commutes have become even more important."

About Walk Score:  Based in Seattle, WA, Walk Score rates any address based on its proximity to nearby amenities (grocery stores, restaurants, schools, parks, public transit, etc.) and promotes walkable neighborhoods for their economic, environmental and health benefits.  Walk Score delivers four million scores per day across a network of over 10,000 websites.  According to independent research conducted by CEOs for Cities, one point of Walk Score is worth as much as $3,000 in home value.  Visit www.walkscore.com for more information.

(i) http://www.realtor.org/wps/wcm/connect/a0806b00465fb7babfd0bfce195c5fb4/smart_growth_comm_surv ey_results_2011.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

(ii)  http://www.rclco.com/generalpdf/general_Sep2320101200_PCBC-Gen-Y_in_the_marketplace_-_Underwood-6-17-09_%5BCompatibility_Mode%5D.pdf

(iii)  http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/12/walkable-neighborhoods-happy-people/1

SOURCE Walk Score