Walkability can be an important factor for some people when trying to decide where they want to live.
Walking means you can ditch a car for public transportation, easily get to stores and restaurants, or just be healthier by using your feet to get around town. It could also mean you live in an area that's friendly to pedestrians or has a higher population density.
But where are these walkable cities? Walk Score looked at cities in the United States and Canada to find the best places to live if you don't want to rely on a car and like having places within walking distance. Here are some of the cities they say are the best for walkers.
California, Northeast Lead List
It may not be surprising that the most walkable city is one where it doesn't snow normally.
San Francisco ranked highest for the most walkable city, in part due to its compact size and emphasis on walking. In fact, the city has a pedestrian program to increase walking in the area. Public transportation also helps. BART carries residents across San Francisco as well as neighboring areas, making it easy to walk to and from stops instead of driving. You can also ride cable cars and streetcars, which aren't just for tourists.
It may not be surprising to see New York City on the list, which comes in second place. The city's density makes it ideal for walking to shops and restaurants, while its subway system and other regional trains make great alternatives to cars. The city's public transportation is so good that Walk Score ranked its transit system best among cities in the United States and Canada.
Nearby Jersey City, New Jersey, came in third. It also ranked in the top five cities for best public transit, according to Walk Score. The city is mostly a densely populated area, which gives it a boost over all places that have more sprawl that requires a car to get around.
Boston took fourth place, boosted by the third-best transit system in the survey. Vancouver, British Columbia, came in fifth place and was the only Canadian city among the top 10 walkable cities, according to Walk Score.
The top 10 most walkable cities in the United States and Canada include:
1. San Francisco, California
2. New York City, New York
3. Jersey City, New Jersey
4. Boston, Massachusetts
5. Vancouver, British Columbia
6. Chicago, Illinois
7. Washington, D.C.
8. Miami, Florida
9. Newark, New Jersey
10. Oakland, California
Southern States Dominate Least Walkable Cities
Larger, sprawling cities can lead to lower walkability scores, which is a big factor for some of the cities with the worst scores in Walk Score's study.
Chesapeake, Virginia, came in last place with the least walkable city of the 130 cities Walk Score reviewed. The city's walkable score was sunk by the worst score for public transit and a top 10 worst score for bikes.
Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Winston-Salem, North Carolina, came in second and third place. The cities also scored low when it came to transit and bikes. In fact, neither Fayetteville nor Winston-Salem has a transit system that could be scored for the survey. Both cities were also in the bottom three for residents' ability to safely bike around town.
The top 10 worst cities for walkability include:
1. Chesapeake, Virginia
2. Fayetteville, North Carolina
3. Winston-Salem, North Carolina
4. Jacksonville, Florida
5. Montgomery, Alabama
6. Charlotte, North Carolina
7. Nashville, Tennessee
8. Gilbert, Arizona
9. Greensboro, North Carolina
10. Henderson, Nevada