Walk Score Releases 2014 Ranking of Most Walkable U.S. Cities and Neighborhoods

SEATTLE, Nov. 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for 2014 New Year's resolutions to live healthier and save money, Walk Score^® issued the company's 2014 ranking of Most Walkable U.S. Cities and Neighborhoods. The new ranking helps empower Americans to find places to live that offer a breadth of nearby amenities including food, entertainment, shopping, schools and parks as well as easy access to bike lanes, car shares and public transit so they can leave their cars at home more often.

Walk Score ranking of largest U.S. cities

1.  New York (Walk Score: 87.6)
2.  San Francisco (Walk Score: 83.9)
3.  Boston (Walk Score: 79.5)
4.  Philadelphia (Walk Score: 76.5)
5.  Miami (Walk Score: 75.6)
6.  Chicago (Walk Score: 74.8)
7.  Washington, D.C. (Walk Score: 74.1)
8.  Seattle (Walk Score: 70.8)
9.  Oakland (Walk Score: 68.5)
10. Baltimore (Walk Score: 66.2)

Visit each city page on Walk Score to find a list of the most walkable local neighborhoods including "Walker's Paradise" neighborhoods where most daily errands do not require a car.

"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, and quality of life," said Josh Herst, CEO Walk Score. "For decades, Americans have tended to drive more every year, but that's changing. Today commuting by bus, bike and foot are on the rise as more people choose apartments and homes in walkable neighborhoods and with shorter, cheaper and happier commutes."

The Walk Score methodology

The 2014 ranking of Most Walkable U.S. Cities and Neighborhoods is based on a proprietary algorithm and analysis of over 10 million addresses and over 2 billion walking routes to neighborhood amenities across 2,500 cities and more than 10,000 neighborhoods. Walk Score's ranking is the only national, quantitative walkability rating. Cities and neighborhoods are rated on a scale of 0-100, with locations receiving a score of 90-100 deemed a "Walker's Paradise." Detailed ranking methodology and a complete list of ranked cities and their neighborhoods can be found at http://walk.sc/2014ranking.

Resolve to live healthier, happier and to save money in 2014

Independent research has demonstrated that living in walkable neighborhoods with good public transit contributes to a happier and healthier lifestyle.^[1]  In fact, the majority of Americans rate being within a short commute to work and within an easy walk of neighborhood amenities as key criteria when deciding where to live. This trend is even more pronounced among Millennials (age approximately 18-30), 70% of whom rate walkability as important or vital when deciding where to live and one third of whom will pay more for the ability to easily walk to shops, work and entertainment.^[2]

• Between 2001 and 2009, the average annual number of vehicle-miles traveled by young people (16 to 34 year-olds) declined 23 percent.^[3]
• The average American spends over $9,000 per year on their car making cars the second largest expense for most households, costing more than food, clothing and health care.^[4]
• The average resident of a walkable neighborhood weighs eight pounds less than someone who lives in a sprawling neighborhood.^[5]

"The typical American family spends 1/5th of their income on transportation and countless hours are wasted commuting long distances," said Jeff Speck author, Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time. "Walk Score is leading the way in helping people make smart and informed decisions about where to live. Nothing makes as big of an impact on your health and quality of life as finding a better commute and living in a walkable neighborhood."

Walk Score makes it easy to find walkable places to live

Walk Score's website and iPhone app make it easy for consumers to shop for apartments and rentals by commute time, access to public transit and proximity to "Gotta Have" amenities like coffee shops, grocery stores, schools, parks, car shares, and more.  Visit http://www.walkscore.com/apartments to get started.

About Walk Score

Walk Score^® makes it easy for apartment renters and homebuyers to find neighborhoods where they can drive less and live more. Walk Score believes that walkable neighborhoods with access to public transit, shorter commutes, and proximity to the people and places you love are the key to a happier, healthier and more sustainable lifestyle. Walk Score delivers more than 10 million scores for apartment and home addresses per day across a network of more than 30,000 real estate sites. Walk Score's Advisory Board includes urban planning, environmental and technical experts from organizations such as Sightline Institute and The Brookings Institution. According to independent research conducted by CEOs for Cities, one point of Walk Score adds up to $3,000 to home values. Find your neighborhood at http://www.walkscore.com.

Media contact:
Jacqueline Tanzella (for Walk Score)
(415) 741-7848
[email protected]

^[1] http://www.walkscore.com/walkable-neighborhoods.shtml
^[2] http://www.rclco.com
^[3] http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/30/sunday-review/the-end-of-car-culture.html
^[4] http://www.marketwatch.com/story/driving-a-car-can-cost-10000-per-year-2013-04-17
^[5] http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/kbenfield/utah_study_links_walkable_neig.html

SOURCE Walk Score