10 Walkable US Cities That Won't Bankrupt You

Today we're looking at walkable cities that won't break the bank. Affordability in US cities is all over the map, and often, the more walkable a city is, the more expensive it is! But not always. Join me today as I count down the ten US cities that give you the most walkability for your money!
----------
CityNerd is now available on Nebula -- streaming ad-free, along with lots of other great creators! Discount for signing up at my channel:
nebula.tv/citynerd
----------
Patreon - a way to directly support continuing CityNerd output! Thanks to all who have signed up so far.
/ citynerd
----------
Instagram: @nerd4cities
Mastodon: @[e-mail]
Twitter: @nerd4cities
----------
Previous CityNerd Videos Referenced:
- Aqueducts: • Top 10 Urban Aqueducts...
- Unexpected Walkability: • 10 Surprisingly Pedest...
- How to Think About Crime in Cities: • "Urban Crime Wave": Fa...
- Bridgiest Cities: • Bridge Cities: The Top...
----------
Resources:
- data.census.gov/table?q=s0801
- www.walkscore.com/cities-and-...
- www.zillow.com/research/data/
----------
Images
- London Eye Video by Davide Giordani from Pixabay
- Pickleball By TheVillagesFL - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
- Brunch Line at Jane Restaurant by Flickr user snowpea&bokchoi www.flickr.com/photos/bokchoi... creativecommons.org/licenses/...
- Pancakes Image by khairicherus from Pixabay
- Opening city pan Video by shadi6454 from Pixabay
- Brownstone thumbnail Photo by Charles Parker: www.pexels.com/photo/contempo...
----------
Music:
CityNerd background: Caipirinha in Hawaii by Carmen María and Edu Espinal (KZbin music library)
----------
Business Inquiries: [e-mail]

[@merrywalsh2809]

Having lived in downtown Seattle for just over ten years, (I left in 2018) I can say that living in a walkable place will transform your life in the best ways possible. After a couple of years, I realized I could give up my car, saving a ton of money, and speed walk the entire city, which kept me endlessly entertained and fit. It’s goals, people!

[@waterbender19]

why did you leave? (I'm thinking of moving there)

[@merrywalsh2809]

@@waterbender19 I left for two reasons. I retired, and had always intended to move back home to Hawaii, where my adult kids and grandchildren all live. The other reason, unfortunately, was that more drug addicts and mentally ill folks were living on the streets every day. The county and municipal governments were allowing open air drug markets and shoplifting and stores were closing. I did not see things trending in the right direction. I felt like my condo, which I owned, was going to lose value because of these things. I had planned to stay longer, but decided to go sooner rather than later. You should go and check it out first. I don’t know if it has gotten worse since I left. I wrote an email to the mayor telling her why I was leaving, and wished her good luck, but then there was CHOP and she is no longer the mayor.

[@neilcates3499]

@@waterbender19 Seattle is a great city!

[@Jack-la]

I used to walk EVERYWHERE when I lived on Cap Hill in Seattle. And the bus system was decent enough for the places further out.

[@machinegurlll]

@@waterbender19 i can't say for OP but I lived in Washington my whole life til I was 19. I moved out a few years ago due to cost. I think many locals are being pushed out from housing crisis.

[@zacharyostrand617]

That flyover of Gilbert, AZ was honestly horrifying -- a textbook combination of stroads, large and dangerous intersections, interstate highways, and oceans of parking.

[@WillmobilePlus]

@Tomas Sakalauskas sure? It appears that this town has low crime, and good schools. Which rank higher to people than bike lanes and sidewalk cafes, believe it or not. Different strokes and all that. But do talk about how miserable they all must be....

[@knutthompson7879]

TBH almost all of the Phoenix metro area looks like that. It is about as anti-urbanist as you can get.

[@dlawlrence]

God I hate Gilbert so much. Also that flyover stopped just short of a lovely lifestyle center (that's 60% surface parking).

[@Cyrus992]

Phoenix area boomed due to CA, Rustbelt, and immigration

[@mazmillion451]

@@WillmobilePlus Average crime and average schools, below average walk-ability and above average cost. my experience with Gilberts is that they're normal humans, but again, they probably don't know any alternative to car infestation because all of AZ (and most of the west coast) is a car infested shit-hole. A happy North Korean doesn't prove communism is the ideal system. A happy Gilbert doesn't prove they wouldn't prefer walk-ability.

[@GraniteJet]

I stumbled upon Pittsburgh when looking for law schools and I'm still blown away four years later by how good of a city it is for your money.

[@gabriellameattray9778]

How is pierogi?

[@clipsburg412]

@@gabriellameattray9778 Amazing!

[@Praisethesunson]

Affordable, good services, decent skilled jobs. Fuc that winter weather though.

[@tysonb3568]

Whenever I see pics of it im blown away. It looks amazing

[@ceciliaz9983]

Like what areas ?

[@TinyPooks]

Did a year in Baltimore in Mt. Vernon area and can confirm that rent is right! Some of the streets are absolutely stunning, I quite enjoyed taking walks every day. Plus it's just a few blocks from the train station so really easy to hop over to DC, Philly, or even NY :)

[@jessicakeskemety22]

Baltimore has a lot of great pockets and there is a lot of money being put into making it better, but…just be cautious. No hate; I love Baltimore!

[@bcaprari]

I lived in Baltimore for a few years and it is definitely walkable if you're near the downtown/midtown areas like Mt Vernon, Bolton Hill, Station North and Charles Village. Outside of there it gets harder to get around without a car. Not saying it can't be done though.

[@victorrivera3088]

Yes a city with so much potential and many beautiful neighborhoods. I live in the Patterson Park area and it is very walkable still. Not as built up as the downtown areas but still plenty of walkability. City was built for over 1+ million people so with a population of closer to 600k there are some big pockets within the city that is covered with boarded up and dilapidated housing. A pretty high crime city so definitely be careful where you are walking.

[@shannonhu189]

I live in Baltimore and do not think it is walkable at all to be honest. To get anywhere meaningful such as grocery shopping, eating out, a gym, retail shopping (which also barely exists), you NEED a car. Also, not to mention you could very easily end up on the wrong block and suddenly feel very unsafe, even in midday. Rent is certainly affordable but walkability is not ideal.

[@TinyPooks]

@@shannonhu189 I definitely didn't need a car in my area, but I didn't venture much further out in my day-to-day. But yeah, when planning to go to farther neighborhoods like Hampden or Canton I would get an uber so probably would have needed one if that were a daily commute

[@edenglesener3626]

04:49 Rochester, New York 06:13 Baltimore, Maryland 07:58 St Louis, Missouri 08:34 Newark, New Jersey 09:23 Chicago, Illinois 10:12 Buffalo, New York 12:35 Minneapolis, Minnesota 13:00 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 14:01 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

[@bobknob9956]

Allá the most crime rittled

[@AnnaBell033]

@@bobknob9956 for some of them, those are indeed the case. Even with generation, its still sketch...at least in Philly

[@stephanieotles1847]

You forgot Madison, WI which is a fabulous place to live.

[@MothGirl007]

Wow, nothing in the West.

[@1stdaughter]

*sigh* nowhere warm

[@guitardude412]

As a Squirrel Hill South resident, i can confirm that the squirrel-shaped bike racks are surprisingly ok to use

[@CityNerd]

Yeah I wasn't even gonna complain about them. I like a staple but those look cute and probably functional haha

[@bogolin007]

Fellow squirrel hill resident here! Glad to see Pittsburgh getting recognized!

[@patrickbanus]

War Streets resident here - just walked dahntahn last night for dinner, but still surprised to see the 'Burgh #1 - gotta love it!

[@Seattle-2017]

@@patrickbanus Northside (Manchester neighborhood) resident here. I was surprised by the #1 rating too, but then realized what a great city this is.

[@cardinalj]

Lived in Dormont (considered a suburb) , I loved Pittsburgh and walked , biked or took PT (the T) everywhere. Loved living there and miss it

[@jamesslate1026]

In addition to the walk score, I always consider a city's accessibility to public transportation, which can have a major impact on the overall quality of life. And in that regard, Philadelphia and Chicago should top your list. I've lived most of my adult life in Chicago, and I've never considered it a disadvantage in not owning a car. There are very few mid-sized cities where you can live without your own vehicle. I'm currently living in Houston. Despite it being the fourth largest US city, the public transit is poor. I live in a neighbourhood with a good walk score, but getting around town is a major challenge.

[@Thuazabi]

I really hope you're not trying to imply Chicago and Philadelphia are midsized cities - they're 2 of the 9 in the US with populations of a million or more. Only 333 of America's cities and towns have populations of 100,000 or more, with most of the ~20,000 having populations less than 5,000 people. So, mid-sized is more like 50,000.

[@nicholaus3248]

@@Thuazabi Obviously I agree that neither Chicago nor Philly are "mid-size," but from what I've read the popular definition of "mid-size" usually includes cities from 100-500 thousand people (allowing for some variations within that range depending on who you're talking to). Not literally the middle 50% of all US/NA cities.

[@scareglare]

I moved from Chicagoland to Houston and lived in Montrose SPECIFICALLY for the walkability. Houston drives me crazy for a lot of reasons. That's why I had to leave and live in Illinois again, and I don't regret it at all!

[@twix2615]

@@annamariebella4441 Philly metro area is actually slightly larger Miami's (6.2 million in Philly vs. 6.1 in Miami). In terms of population within city limits, Philadelphia at 1.5 million is waaay larger than Miami's 442k. Philadelphia is its own county, but it shares the same area as the city itself so doesn't include any of the surrounding suburbs and broader metro area unlike Miami-Dade.

[@Praisethesunson]

Chicago is so close to America having decent mass public transit.

[@LilyWolfrumP]

I lived in Logan Square (Chicago) for nearly five years without a car and loved it. My low rent allowed me to pay off my student loan debt. I could walk to the bookstore, farmer’s market, movie theater, nail salon, yoga studio, and numerous restaurants and bars. When I wanted to go downtown, I was right by the train and could there in about 30 minutes.

[@fwemp]

May I ask why you moved?

[@Iponamann]

One thing that’s definitely worth mentioning in regards to Rochester is the absence of any real grocery stores downtown. That fact alone makes it MUCH harder to live car-free in center city than it should be

[@haydentravis3348]

Sounds like a demand that needs some supply, yes?

[@sebastianjoseph2828]

This is a big issue in cities all over. I don't know the economics of operating a grocery store, I figure it's more cost effective to run/supply a big supermarket covering 10k people in a larger region than multiple little stores in a neighborhood. Ideally we'd see the return of small scale local grocers, but until then even a chain on the scale of Aldi/Lidl building stores is an absolute must. Food deserts are a big continuing factor in urban inequality, obesity, and more.

[@WillmobilePlus]

@@haydentravis3348 lol! No. There isn't nearly that much demand, and these entities have to deal with rampant shoplifting now, so they are far more skittish about locating in cities like this.

[@Iponamann]

@@sebastianjoseph2828 i know of at least one Aldi but it’s not nearly large enough or close enough to downtown

[@freedom4dollars]

Yeah, the downtown food desert is a thing. Anytime you get a ton of high-value commercial real estate concentrated, corner stores, grocery stores, bodegas, and every other convenience business disappears to be replaced with coffee shops, banks, gyms, weird retail spaces, etc. It would be great to see a video ranking downtown food deserts.

[@Fan652w]

I am British and have never been to the USA, but I almost always find your videos very interesting. The city I have lived in for the last 52 years, Nottingham, is both very 'affordable' (one of the cheapest British cities) and 'walkable'. And it is worth noting that it is very much a 'college town', with two large Universities, one of which employed me for 37 years. If you live in city which is both walkable and affordable, you do not want to move! And i suspect that is true world wide!

[@Luboman411]

The vast majority of European cities are walkable. That's due to the fact that they're all from the Middle Ages or older periods. Take Nottingham, for example--it's been around since at least 600 AD. That means huge swathes of the city were built when people still needed to walk places with their pigs and cows and whatnot. Thus automatically walkable. For us here in the "colonies," a huge number of cities were built during or after the Industrial Revolution. Meaning that trolleys or the car were king. Which tended to encourage dispersed settlement patterns that are not walkable in the least. That's one thing I do miss about Europe--the sheer number of cities and towns one could choose from that were walkable.

[@TheAmericanCatholic]

@@Luboman411 American cities were walkable before 1950 then the urbanists of that decade screwed everything up.

[@thebuttermilkyway687]

@@Luboman411 That's largely bullshit. Most American cities and towns were built before the 1950s came along and freeways exploded them into car-dependent oblivion.

[@cute_axolotl]

@@TheAmericanCatholic It's depressing. Texas is infamously a car-centric state but when you look at pictures of Texan cities before the 1960s, they were all so urban and walkable. It's a shame our country went this direction.

[@seanwilliams7655]

@@TheAmericanCatholic yeah. That's why the vast majority of the walkable big cities tend to be in the Northeast or Midwest.

[@contessamagdalena]

Thank you for highlighting Baltimore!! We sometimes get a bad rep which is unfair! I live just blocks for the downtown area you shared. Yes we have brownstones! And beautiful church spires!! We have our struggles like any city but we have some lovely areas, free museums, bike lanes, a light rail connecting lots of neighborhoods. Awesome houses available to purchase. My husband and I have been living the dream renovating a 1875 3,500 sq ft building for several years. We are artists and will both have a whole floor for a studio, totally true!! and our mortgage is less than the rents you mentioned. Baltimore is affordable for regular people!❤🎉

[@francoade9848]

I love Baltimore all the way. I'm not interested in moving. It's a hidden gem.

[@daisukishikamaru4920]

It’s encouraging to see people agree with Baltimore because I’ve only been there twice but I’m looking to move east. The one thing some people I talk to bring up is crime but I currently live in Chicago and the crime here is ridic 😂 so that isn’t enough to scare me away. I’m looking for walkability to grocery stores, museums, parks, and nightlife but in a smaller big city, if that makes sense. Most importantly, a much lower cost of living. Looks like I’ll be doing more research on Baltimore!

[@contessamagdalena]

@@daisukishikamaru4920 that’s great Daisuki! Like many places we still have a ways to go but Baltimore is really great to. Still a place people can actually afford to live 😁 best of luck to you in finding your new home 🏡 wherever you land 😉

[@anmnou]

I love Baltimore; it has such beautiful and cozy neighborhoods. When I tried to find a place there to rent though, it was very expensive. The Walters Museum is a favorite of mine.

[@jonathansykes4986]

Baltimore's reputation is fully deserved

[@xXSoyaChanXx]

This was such an eye opening video! My fiancé and I pay $1300 for a 1 bedroom in Dallas and still have to pay around $600 monthly to have a car to get back and forth. We could really be getting way more for our money if we decided to relocate to one of these cities mentioned.

[@rituwebpro]

dallas is a bad city. You need a car for litterally everything. Id rather be in SF then Dallas even if its more expensive.

[@char6081]

Dallas is an awful city its also lacking the nature aspect

[@Kaodusanya]

@@char6081thats everywhere in texas and anyone that mentions austin has probably never left texas

[@copiouscat]

Agreed I regret moving out here just hit 6 months and im ready to go! 😂 and no im not from Cali

[@dylanwelch91]

I currently live in Rochester, happy to see it make a list! Fun fact: that apartment you zoomed in on used to be a highway. They took out the highway and redeveloped the area in 2017. Rochester's got a ways to go, and progress is slow, but it's progress.

[@Fujiforker]

I’m so glad we were on a list for something positive haha!

[@MelissaJetzt]

Not from Rochester, but glad to see TWO Upstate NY cities on the list! People naively think NYC is all the state has to offer, and they are sorely mistaken.

[@nosah8415]

@Melissa Jetzt Languages I LOVE upstate NY. I know it's got a ways to go in many areas, but it love the direction the upstate cities are going.

[@DexSleepy]

Walkability is very debatable theres still tons of junkies, homeless, and our infamous sovereign citizens thinking they run the whole show but besides that i probably could be walkable

[@seriousbutfunny2]

Rochester is nice. I went there on a whim and met some really nice people.

[@dirtycommie2877]

As someone that lived my entire life in the DC Metro Area before moving to Baltimore (Mt. Vernon) at the age of 30 (3 yrs ago), I am proud to say that my decision to move to this city was the single greatest decision I ever made as an adult. It's kinda ridiculous how underrated and undervalued Baltimore is compared to the reality.

[@ethanstump]

it's because almost literally every cop tv show blast's the message that it's a crime ridden hellhole that everyone should stay away from. which, while stigmatizing, actually does wonder's for affordability.

[@carsend7412]

I've been strongly considering it since I can work mostly remote besides a few days a month in my office down by DC in Tysons Corner. Been looking more at the row homes in like Fed Hill, Locus Point, Canton, Fells, and around Patterson Park....something about them seems cool.

[@lifeinhd4053]

What's the jobs situation like in Baltimore? Or are you full time remote?

[@arjielemeaux8523]

What do you do in Baltimore? Work in a factory. If you want a good white collar job isn’t Boston, NY, DC only options? Hence why rent is so much in those cities

[@TemplarOnHigh]

@@arjielemeaux8523 No. Baltimore is on the Acela line, so we're basically next to DC and NYC. There's a lot of finance jobs / UA / JH. People overlook the city because (surprise) there is a huge self fulfilling "crime" stigma that results in disinvestment. But you can rent a house or a nice apartment for under $2,000 all day long.

[@Slame333]

As a person from Rochester, with family in and heavy ties to Buffalo, whose lived in Pittsburgh for the past 8 years, this list made me so happy lol. About damn time we finally crack into your top 10. Also, Pittsburgh topping another list. Love to see it!

[@Ross1966]

I’m from Rochester as well and I love visiting Pittsburgh! If I wasn’t tied down here, I’d move there in a minute!

[@mazx19]

As someone who lives in Minneapolis my entire life it is shocking that you have it ranked so high. It really shows just how tremendous bad cities in America are designed that Minneapolis is third...

[@AvsFan32]

I can’t winters there 👎🏼 all else appealing

[@bobbabai]

I have lived in Minneapolis since 1969 and have been living without a car for 11 months, and I live in one of the nicest and prettiest parts of the city. It's working pretty well. Granted, I'm retired and I don't have to work.

[@john.m.berger]

As a St. Louisan, you can definitely live in older (but nice) apartment buildings in hip areas for surprisingly little rent. Newer apartment buildings are definitely less affordable but St. Louis is really incredibly cheap compared to many other major cities.

[@pcfierro]

Right! This is a very true statement. I’m aware of many people that move to STL from the coasts and are pleasantly surprised by the affordability, walkability, and overall vibe

[@adamt195]

As long as its not Lux Living or Citywide, which own a lot of buildings in CWE. There are other affordable options in CWE tho. Or the grove is also pretty good. I almost signed a lease for a 2 bedroom in the grove for $1100/mon. Top floor of a duplex.

[@daisydaisy2104]

STL went from nowhere near my radar to my fav city in the USA in one trip.. yes it is it’s issues, but fuck, it’s so cheap, the architecture is beautiful, the people are nice. There so many walkable strips in almost every neighborhood

[@StLouis-yu9iz]

@@daisydaisy2104 ❤

[@StLouis-yu9iz]

@@pcfierro 💙

[@benovard]

Not sure if you've already made one, but I'd love to see a video on which cities are currently making the most progress in increasing walkability/bikeability/transit. Even though they might be at the bottom right now, they're putting in the effort to improve.

[@dogdad1997]

I'm biased bc it's home, but Houston's definitely making a effort. It's not much so far, but it's nice given how long it's been very very car dependent

[@yo6285]

Northern Virginia has been doing pretty good. A lot of people bike from there to DC, and I wouldn't say DC's is too bad either

[@Chel.C.B]

He recently did a “most improved” video.

[@kokolatte825]

@@yo6285 I lived in DC 20 years ago and back then I would say it was probably easier to walk and use metro than to deal with driving and parking. I'd imagine it's even more true now. Parking in the city 🤮

[@WilliamPeregoy]

@@dogdad1997 Interesting. Houston is the definition of urban sprawl. Are there certain areas of the city in particular that are making this effort?

[@antonioruberto7077]

I'm from Pittsburgh and I love Philly. Both are awesome places with very distinct and unique urban cultures. They are always hated on and underrated but man are they cool places if you give them a chance. Cool to see them topping the list here.

[@josephfreedman9422]

I've lived in Philadelphia over 35 years (I moved here at age 40), and walkability is a big reason why I have stayed. Years ago I visited Pittsburgh and it's a beautiful city with excellent transportation. A drawback for me personally would be the harsher winters there.

[@zachanderson303]

I lived in the Southside flats in Pittsburgh on 10th street for few years and moving away from there is what got me started watching this channel and learning more about walkability. I used to walk everywhere in southside because everything was in walking distance and that’s the reason why I shot street photography for awhile. The only problem with Southside are the shootings and bar violence but I believe it’s calmed down since I left. Moving back to the suburbs made me realize how dystopian the U.S. has become with the car. A great and interesting list, I can vouch for Pittsburgh’s walkability as I have walked almost everywhere in that city.

[@jbcarseiii]

The shootings are waaaaaaayyyy up. There have probably been as many in the past year as there were in the previous 15 years that I’ve lived here. The only reason that it doesn’t get more attention is because Pitt’s medical and UPMC have been conducting a suspended animation for trauma surgery trial. You are much more likely to survive being shot or stabbed in Pittsburgh than any other city as a result.

[@mac22342]

It’s very safe I live in Southside and haven’t heard or seen a shooting since living here

[@JoshuaFagan]

Even before watching this, I had a feeling that Pittsburgh was going to be at the top. I've had so many artsy, hip friends of mine moved to there or Buffalo in the last few years because of how convenient and vibrant those cities are considering their pricetag.

[@CityNerd]

Affordable rent with a high quality of life opens up SO MANY possibilities.

[@gabriellameattray9778]

Pittsburgh?? Really? I live here and I dont think it's that walkable...

[@paulbukowiecki1213]

@@gabriellameattray9778 that's the funny thing how bad it is for the U.S. really though one of the best is not that walkable lol

[@cousinrolf871]

@@gabriellameattray9778 Keep in mind the criteria for this video is walkable AND affordable. He said that NYC, SF, Seattle, and Boston would have been top of the list if they weren't so expensive. So the intersection of affordability and walkability must have been just right compared to all the others that fit the criteria that put it at the top of the very list of candidates, even if it isn't objectively the most walkable city overall

[@chasefarmer5070]

Been in Baltimore for about 6 years now and so happy to see it made this list. There are some really charming and historic spots in the city with relatively inexpensive rent. Especially when looking at actual rowhomes to rent instead of highrise apartments. You may sacrifice some conveniences like parking, but can get much more living space. The biggest catches IMO with Baltimore are public transportation and downtown grocery stores.

[@odd1354]

I think that the relative catch was that Baltimore lost a lot of its industry and offices over the last fifty years to the surrounding suburbs, especially business parks between Baltimore and DC. If you find a place to work there, though, or if your working situation doesn't require you to be in one of those suburban offices all the time, it can be great. CityNerd looked in the very middle of the city, but even the periphery to the southwest and east of the core it's easy to find places within a reasonable walk of stores and restaurants.

[@jjandorliadul]

Let's hope they build that red line with that new governor. Piggly Larry Hogan (our previous two term Republican governor) canceled the new light rail line and instead funneled money into highway construction - also benefitting kin involved in that industry.

[@casadactyl21]

Love walking to the canton bars on a warm summer night! And the lights that the rowhomes have put up prevent crime but also look really pretty

[@NickSchiwy]

I've lived in Canton for almost two years and I don't think I ever want to leave Baltimore. While it's true that the trains leave a lot to be desired (and I'm hopeful for the construction of a red line under the Moore admin), I've recently started commuting to work in Hollins Market by taking the bus and it's really been a fairly easy transition and so much less stressful than driving. I also have a grocery store within walking distance in my neighborhood, which is really hard to beat.

[@M123Xoxo]

Parking isn't a convenience, it's a requirement in nearly every city. That's like saying "there are some charming rowhouses, sure you sacrifice not having a roof so you're open to the elements at all times, but think of the living space!"

[@thetransbay]

Always love how transparent you are with data. Doesn't need a full paper but just a little analysis makes the decisions a whole lot more understandable (and makes for way better listicle content when it's not just opinion). Also that Slack notification threw me off so hard.

[@koffiegast]

Been quite all over USA as a Dutchie. Living in Amsterdam I know what bike/walk infrastructure means. Pittsburgh felt quite comfy and easy to walk with a pretty scenery, and I remember thinking 'this is somewhere I could live' and happy to see it on the list.

[@sebastianjoseph2828]

Baltimore is absolutely a gem. Maryland gets a rep of being expensive, but Baltimore is great for urban affordability. Mt. Vernon is a cool neighborhood that's the heart of its residential downtown (moreso than Inner Harbor). Right by museums, good restaurants, the marketplace, light rail and the main N-S bike corridor on Cathedral/Maryland Ave. When looking at Baltimore a lot of people see either underserved neighborhoods or gentrified ones like Fed, Fells, and Canton. But there's a lot of diverse and thriving communities like Mt. Vernon, Highlandtown, and Irvington too. Some investment in new transit would really put the city on track to improve even more.

[@TheStrangeBloke]

Maryland really isn't that expensive. Baltimore as shown isn't expensive, and Columbia (right next door) is the second largest city and is also quite cheap. It only gets expensive next to DC, at which point you can potentially live without a car if you have transit access.

[@AmartyaBhattacharjee]

Completely agreed. I moved to Boston from Baltimore and I absolutely miss Baltimore. Crime in Baltimore is exaggerated.

[@scottie89901]

​@@TheStrangeBloke My biggest problem with the Baltimore area is that a city 20 miles away is considered "right next door". It's a horribly car dependent city, which somehow has traffic that's just as bad as D.C. despite half the metro population and similar amount of freeway infrastructure.

[@sethjforrest]

Agreed. There are plenty of parts of the city that may be walkable, but that you probably don't want to walk around in, but on the whole, the crime stuff is overreported and tied to racial prejudices. I bought a single-family home, totally rehabbed by a trustworthy contractor/flipper, 3bd 3ba on a 1/4 acre two blocks from YMCA, two blocks from the best public high school in the region, two blocks from open greenspace Lake Montebello, five years ago for $225K. My friends who are scared of the city paid two to three times that much for a place in a soul-less suburb. We love it. But if the gentrifiers start to spread out of Canton and Fed Hill and start coming back in from the suburbs, let's just tell them "Omar's comin," so we can keep the "pleasant living" to ourselves.

[@TheStrangeBloke]

@@scottie89901 Its pretty damn walkable in many areas, that's why it showed up in this video. And Columbia is also pretty cheap and walkable (bikeable, not so much)

[@daviddonovan9405]

Once again, a data driven astute perspective, open minded, open hearted, serving up a generous portion of personal wisdom with a tasty side of wise-ass. I love it! Thanks!

[@CityNerd]

Haha, that's such a nice way of putting it.

[@pesterhazy]

I was watching the list unfold and I was waiting for Pittsburgh to show up - so happy to see it ended up as No 1! As a European who lived in Pittsburgh for a while, I can confirm both the affordability and walkability of the place, as well as its charm.

[@Will_JJHP]

Squirrel Hill and South Side are close to the Carnegie Mellon and Pitt campuses in nearby Oakland, so the walkability makes sense. Shadyside is another adjacent neighborhood that's really nice. Fun fact: these neighborhoods are what Mr. Rogers' model neighborhood in his intros were based on

[@gabriellameattray9778]

But shady side and squirrel hill are very expensive to live in

[@avikaj.6287]

As a St. Louis transplant, finding an affordable apartment in a walkable neighborhood is very doable! So many neighborhoods to choose from with walkable streets lined with restaurants and shops, and the rent is shockingly affordable! Love it here

[@CityNerd]

I'm jealous

[@bgardunia]

Transit sucks here though. Especially bad farther away from center.

[@StLouis-yu9iz]

We love having you. :]

[@StLouis-yu9iz]

@@CityNerd wasn’t someone looking for a new lease soon? ;P

[@jspihlman]

@@bgardunia It's not great, but there's room for improvement. Right now St. Louis has the 2nd highest light rail ridership in the Midwest after Minneapolis. There is renewed interest and planning into a N-S line as well, which would vastly improve the light rail network and lead to more ridership.

[@Seattle-2017]

As a Pittsburgh resident, I was not expecting my city to be number one on the list. But then I realized it is a great city with excellent street network - despite all the steep hills, plus good bridge infrastructure and fine historic neighborhoods. It's also very inexpensive to live in. Also - The bridge that collapsed one year ago, the Fern Hollow Bridge, has already been rebuilt and is now handling traffic. Thanks for the top rating.

[@richardwallace6313]

great city in part because of the hills.

[@oc5939]

Not sure what part of The Burg you live in but the infrastructure in the city and the streets suck. 🙄

[@-sbin]

I’m from Chicago and went to Pittsburg a couple months ago. It was surprisingly charming!

[@richardwallace6313]

@@-sbin interesting. I moved from Pittsburgh to Chicago for college many moons ago. Love both.

[@mrman3523]

@@oc5939 burgh*. Where are you from?

[@donnairenephotos]

I used to live in Mexico City and it was soooo walkable and lovely. I walked/biked almost everywhere I needed to go! I'm now back in the States living in Miami and it's not walkable at ALL. I'm looking for a new city to move to that's walkable yet affordable so I really appreciate this video!

[@neilg3333]

Same story here! Going form CDMX to Miami has been a shocker. CDMX is amazing, but the only problem is the air quality. Did you end up finding a walkable city in the USA?

[@donnairenephotos]

@@neilg3333 I just moved to Chattanooga, TN! It's not as walkable as CDMX but if you live near downtown it's super walkable! And has so many free community events! Left Miami and never going back haha.

[@brendanreilly4675]

Basically all walkable us cities are all in the North or Midwest. The south has never heard of public transit before

[@MaxFung]

@@brendanreilly4675yep it’s very unfortunate

[@Lord13289]

Underrated places for urban planning would be a good topic. Latin American cities don’t get the attention that European cities get but they have some great examples of urban planning.

[@elfsongtavern]

Yes! My dream is to live in Cusco or Mexico City someday

[@maggiem476]

Hi! Your apartment search criteria got me thinking… it would be great if you could make a video on the concept of family-friendly cities. Unfortunately, a 2-bedroom apartment for families with kids is not usually realistic, especially if one or both parents works from home. You might address the “missing middle” in US housing stock in urban areas. Families with kids have a hard time finding affordable places to live anywhere walkable…. Apartments with 3+ bedrooms are both rare and super expensive, and transit in the US is often not very kid-friendly. As an urbanist with children I would love a video addressing these topics and providing some city recommendations or other ideas.

[@internallyinteral]

i tell my kids to go explore the world; The oosa will become irrelevant in their lifetime.

[@noctivagantlibertine]

Yeah this guy lost me at $2000 apartment being affordable or desirable. I pay that for a 2400 sqft 4 bdrm house rental right now (would have been closer to 1400 less than a decade ago before rents shot through the roof). I want someplace with a $1200 mortgage, a house, super low crime, and both safely walkable and realistically walkable to a transit hub where I could go into a dense city when I want to but not be stuck with high traffic and noise all day every day.

[@storyofadream]

@@noctivagantlibertine we all want that, wish it would be possible in US

[@thespectator5259]

@@noctivagantlibertine Not just bikes I believe has touched on part of this. Basically because of zoning laws in US, it disincentives cities to build "in between housing" within city limits. So you only have apartments appropriate for like 1-2 people, or big suburban houses far away from the jobs+public transit which necessitates having a car. It's interesting you bring up *crime.* Sadly it seems that most of these public transit KZbinrs avoid (or downplay) the crime aspect part of the conversation... Town-homes, bigger 3 room apartments, and the remaining small houses in large American cities are out of the equation for families, because they are either in crime ridden ghetto neighborhoods or in trendy rich gentrified neighborhoods. For *certain* people who may see this, don't at me for calling such places "ghettos". I grew up in said neighborhoods from poor working class immigrants so save your sanctimonious bull about me not calling such places "ghettos". I have ZERO love in defending such places because of "culture" or "something something" institutional "problematic" thing. We need to STOP walking on eggshells regarding certain inner city neighborhoods. It's a major reason why we don't have walk-able cities since no decent person will want to walk around drug junkies or shady groups of "youth" loitering around every city block on a daily basis. When people wearing ties and with six figure office jobs feel safe enough to take public transport and actually walk in the sidewalks alongside normal people (like in much of East Asia, and Europe), that's how you know it's being done right. It's insanely frustrating because one side of the American political aisle does not care about the cities period (their base are car loving suburbanites and rural people) and the other side will defend EVERYTHING about the criminal demographic in the city to the point of delusion if you try to criticize their behavior because "racism" or some such. If you REALLY want better walk able cities for EVERYONE it will not only necessitate better policy regarding zoning and car culture, but GASP more police and the actual enforcement of laws (think broken windows model type of policing) so people feel safe from not only the cars, but DOUBLE GASP *other* people. Again, it's frustrating because one side of the aisle understands the "broken windows model" of policing, but fails to do anything about the cars and lack of viable public transit, while the other side understands the lack of public transit and car dependency, yet largely refuses to promote a safe environment from other people to be able walk in the streets. You can't have a healthy thriving walk-able city without a holistic approach, largely these three things.... -widely available and cheap public transit. -Better zoning laws for buildings and streets. -And, letting police *actually* ENFORCE public order. You need ALL THREE not just 2 out of 3, but sadly the third one is currently avoided or derided by those who promote the first two.

[@davidc2072]

@The Spectator bravo

[@kb_100]

Baltimore is one of the most underrated cities in the US for sure. It's not mind blowingly good, but it's much better than its image suggests. Nice history, distinct culture, neighborhoods with their own characters.

[@sebastianjoseph2828]

Yeah, I'm sure every city says this but Baltimore feels like a mosaic of neighborhoods. And there are so many local bars, festivals, rec sports leagues. People actually know and befriend their neighbors. I just wish for better buses, rail expansion and bike lanes, but I love it.

[@HatedAlways]

I agree! I visited Baltimore and was impressed by the cool historical culture I saw. I want to go back

[@WillmobilePlus]

LOL! And I'm sure the one part of Baltimore city that is not saddled with insane crime and decay is what makes it "underrated"?

[@Jimmylovesthemoney]

It’s good to see! Albeit there’s always one person triggered when you bring up Baltimore’s positives. Life in the burbs didn’t make them more agreeable 😂

[@TheStrangeBloke]

@@WillmobilePlus It's not "one part". There are bad neighborhoods and good neighborhoods, often right next to each other, but there's no denying that the cost is low for what you get.

[@jazmeenkiddo]

After undergrad, I moved to Pittsburgh and lived there for 8 years, then NYC for 5, now I live in Philly and honestly think Philly should've been number one because those Pgh hills are NO JOKE! Paired with Pgh's weather being worse (more rainy & snowy)...those factors will realistically affect people's desire to walk vs. driving or commuting on those days. Not to mention Philly is hella close to NYC and DC (and Newark) by Amtrak. I assume Pittsburgh won because it's slightly more affordable? Either way, thanks for the video!

[@MuratFerguson]

Enjoyed the video, thanks for sharing!

[@resop3]

One caveat for the walkabilty of Buffalo and Rodchester: both cities get hit repeatedly in the winter with the phenomena of "Lake Effect Snow". Since both cities are on one of the great lakes, when a west to east snow storm comes along the storm picks up a lot of moisture from the lake and dumps it as snow, several feet of snow (usually with in 10-15 miles of shore). So, if you live there there will be many times where going outside just won't be worth it. I am sure the residents are used to it and the city has coping mechanisms, but it might be a culture shock for someone coming from a place with no snow like Los Vegas.

[@trevorstanhope]

As we saw literally just this year the city of Buffalo is incredibly incompetent and not prepared for it and like 40+ died due to the snow storm

[@Ineverusemychannel]

@@trevorstanhope To be fair, most of those unfortunate deaths were due to people leaving their homes despite being advised not to.

[@lpharmer3496]

@@trevorstanhope tbf that one was a bit of an outlier. Multiple foot snow storms do not usually cause that much havoc and loss of life. It was also extremely cold and windy which caused drifting snow. that said, yes they could do better

[@Eerie_Canal]

I’ve learned there’s no getting used to it. From year to year the weather and how it’s severity manifests (wind storms, frozen rain layers, 4 feet of snow every other day) is so unpredictable. The seasonal depression here is really, really bad, and unlike the nearby finger lake region there are few events that the city has that embrace the cold months. People cope by supporting the bills, which allows them to reorient their depression.

[@MadFlourish]

and the roads and streets are not truthfully all that walk-able at least in Rochester... just because of the weird huge roads to connect the suburbs and highways

[@wolfythewolf4457]

As a Philadelphian, I'm pretty proud of my state for making the top two this video! Pittsburgh and Philly may be a little far away from each other but they're still majorly underrated and really awesome places to live.

[@Plancocat]

Absolutely! I grew up north of Pittsburgh but went to the University of Pittsburgh and lived in Oakland and Squirrel Hill for a few years. Then I moved out east to Philly about a decade ago, and I am not surprised that both cities made the the top two on this list! Both cities are ridiculously affordable and have everything you need within a short walking distance.

[@davidw5266]

As a Pittsburgher, I am also Pennsylvania proud. When choosing places to live (an apartment when I first moved here and a house later), walkability and public transit access were among my top criteria. Two East End neighborhoods (Shadyside/Squirrel Hill and then Friendship) met my criteria very well.

[@ginogina4589]

I grew up in Philly and spent a couple years in Shadyside and North Hills in Pittsburgh. Philly, especially CC, is a great place to live work and walk in. We loved living in Fairmount.

[@DTMyles]

People in Philly are so rude and disgusting. No thanks

[@thisIsFunnyLolz]

Once Philly finishes its Delaware water front projects (Penn‘s landing park revamp and extension to old city, Delaware river trail extension to fishtown, and all the avenue connectors) it might take the top spot. Although i am not sure how long the lower rent will last in Philly at this rate. I also lived comfortably in South side Pittsburgh quite cheaply for a short while and it was great being able to just walk places no problem. Now looking at NYC rent for moving is hurting my soul because yeah SF, Boston and NYC have better walkability but many places can have you paying double or triple the rent than in PA

[@katienagy483]

I love the Pittsburgh representation! I've lived in the suburbs of PGH for most of my life, but I decided to go to Pitt for college, and its been amazing. There are truly so few places I cannot go without a car because of how many bus lines run through Oakland. I know the city has its issues, but there has been a lot of work done to address these issues. For anyone considering moving here, I really cannot recommend it enough! The people are so kind and welcoming, and we truly and honestly have so much pride for where we are from!

[@jackt1450]

This is my first video i’ve watched of yours. I loved how informative this was + the dry humor is a nice touch

[@gingermany6223]

STL is a forgotten gem really. People forget that STL used to be a really big deal and hosted both the Worlds Fair and the Olympics in 1904. A lot of that golden age money was invested into civic projects like the Zoo (Free) and lots and lots of great parks and public spaces.

[@CityNerd]

One of the five biggest cities in the US for several decades I think. Had two baseball teams!!

[@__init__3493]

The 1904 Olympics weren't exactly what I would call a success...

[@jspihlman]

@@CityNerd according to Wikipedia it was the 4th largest city in terms of population until the 1960s.

[@jimmacgregor4459]

I was hoping Pittsburgh would make the list. Love that town. But I didn't expect it to be #1.

[@sammyrice1182]

Great video! Thank you!

[@SomeLazyDr]

I agree with your number one pick for value. I visited Pittsburgh about four or five years ago. People have a perception of Pittsburgh being a dying city with a polluted hellscape. Everyone I met there, and I mean everyone, LOVED it. It is affordable. The neighborhoods are walkable. The food is good, there's a great university, and decent jobs. The only thing it's missing is a good metro.

[@matthays9497]

The most expensive cities tend to have better transit and make it easier to not have a car...which makes them cheaper than they sound. And you can live in a smaller place because there are more amenities nearby. I'd love to see a version without the price cutoff (more about the top 5).

[@knutthompson7879]

I agree. I enjoyed the list, but not considering transit seems like a major hole in the analysis.

[@Mark_LaCroix]

@@knutthompson7879 Maybe, but I'm not sure there's much to say about New York's superlative walkability. It's character is pretty well-known. I will say that San Fransisco wouldn't make my list. It's wild terrain, imposing and seemingly empty downtown, weird borders between neighborhoods, and spotty bike lanes makes it hard to get around on foot/bike even as a tourist when you have hours to waste.

[@patrickboldea599]

@Mark_LaCroix I don't think you're right about SFs downtown being empty. SF is definitely different from US cities in the fact that it's "Central Business District" is not the axis on which the city turns and certainly not its best part. There are a lot of smaller "central business areas" throughout the city that are very nice and lively that tourists often don't go to. You're definitely right on the money about the hills, but once you live there for a while the hills are just sort of a fact of life and you stop noticing them as much as you'd think you would. Idk that's my 2 cents on it

[@seanwilliams7655]

This is the main draw of Chicago. You can live there without a car and be fine.

[@mabriff]

To your point, I think if transit was a factor and cost wasn't, Boston, NYC, DC, SF, Chicago, and Philadelphia would still compete for the top spot. Pittsburgh would still be in the top 10, but their transit isn't as robust as those other cities. I've lived in Chicago, DC, and Boston over the last 20+ years and enjoyed car-free living in all three.

[@cjapplebaum6423]

Love how this list is dominated by the lower northeast, rust belt, and upper midwest. They're such underrated parts of the country!

[@shsd4130]

All unpleasant places to live car-free when the winter rolls around :/

[@jeremyhillaryboob4248]

@@shsd4130 It's not that bad as long as you have a coat

[@ethanstump]

@@shsd4130 there's way's to sorta get around it, such as grocery deliveries in the winter time, having home exercise equipment, taking up indoor hobbies like art's, having a sun lamp, becoming a bit of a techie, and other thing's. not going to lie, it is a bummer being cooped up in the winter time, but if it's the price i pay to keep my lifestyle and overall life affordable, there's way's around it. not everyone can afford cali, even most Californian's can't.

[@stevendelavaux1426]

People are moving to the south and southwest but it's becoming less affordable than the Midwest and Northeast and walkability and culture are lacking.

[@CityNerd]

The one caveat I can think of is that I think the ACS goes out in the Spring, and it asks how you most often got to work in the past week. If they ask the question in January, maybe the ACS numbers are lower for rust belt? Just a theory, though -- I think people overrate how big a deal weather is in their heads (said the guy living in Vegas)

[@LMLewis]

I have always enjoyed working with maps and data, and love your videos.

[@whatsonhermindblog123]

Your channel is awesome!!

[@josephmcguire8399]

When I heard Rochester I literally screamed lol. Thanks for sneaking us in there! Medium-sized city with big city potential!

[@theb.a.r.strategy7254]

After the passing image last week I thought it would be the only time Rochester got into a video - and here we are on an actual list!

[@MarkMark]

I only heard Rock-chester. ;)

[@CityNerd]

It's really under the radar!!

[@MemoirsofaBasketcase]

You guys are going to get a FLOOD (pun intended) of NYC refugees soon should the waters rise faster than anticipated.

[@lucaspadilla4815]

An interesting thing that I noticed when I moved to San Francisco, is that even though it is an astronomically expensive city, my transportation expenses (car maintenance/gas) went WAY down compared to when I lived in a non-walkable suburb

[@GuillermoLG552]

Indeed! When I lived there, I didn't have a car, although I had a motorcycle. When I lived in the Santa Cruz mountains, I drove A LOT!

[@emanuelriquelme1133]

We are just living on a guetto after all don't forget that.

[@everacite]

DC is similar, plus since all the museums are free if you don't drink/eat out much it's actually relatively cheap

[@lucaspadilla4815]

@@emanuelriquelme1133 well yeah, homelessness is a huge national issue in nearly every city if you wanna be that blunt. And of course they congregate in walkable areas, since they don't need a car

[@kevley26]

Yeah a lot of times when people talk about NYC having super high rents they ignore that they wouldn't have to pay for a car, so the net monthly cost is hundreds of dollars less than what you may expect.

[@ricknazario2012]

fantastic video, thanks for making it!

[@Bruiser206]

What a fantastic resource! Thank you for this.

[@treeboi]

As a Bostonian, there's a few suburbs that meet your criteria (except population size). Malden & Quincy are great examples: 4-5 miles from downtown Boston, have their own subway T stops with a 90 downtown walkscore & about $2000 for 2 bedroom, plus both have big state parks within their borders. Additionally, both downtown Malden & Quincy went nuts in the past 5 years with lots of new bars, restaurants, shops. Boston's an oddball where the neighboring suburbs resemble cities including all the big city amenities, rather than being residential suburbia hell.

[@ianperry9598]

Kinda resembles London imo. Londons city area is pretty huge and many of its boroughs can kinda be suburbs in their own right with all the amenities of the big city

[@diego001]

I'm a former resident of Quincy Center, and it was really great to see how the City of Quincy invested money in making Quincy Center more walkable! City Hall and the Church of the Presidents became much better to walk through and it was easier to get to shops from my home nearby.

[@jcg03002]

Generally agree with you, but half of downtown Malden is parking garages. It's getting better and is walkable, with new placemaking (like that cool park / play area that backs up to a ...parking garage), but still feels more suburban to a degree.

[@aaronwalker2588]

1000 for rent is insane let alone 2

[@majibento]

$2000?!

[@RMPalm2000]

Baltimore is one of the most underrated cities in America. Cheap housing, amazing art, and music scene, and excellent restaurants. Tons of separated bike lanes and a paved trail that goes through the entire city. Don't sleep on it. It's just a smaller version of Brooklyn with better access to nature.

[@thomasgrabkowski8283]

Very high crime rate though

[@BlueBeamProjectionist]

@@thomasgrabkowski8283 tbh most people watching a video on walkability aren't going to have much issues with crime in Baltimore. Large swaths of the city are extremely poor and high crime but if you don't live in one of them you will probably never experience it.

[@Shay416]

I hope he specifies the area because when I hear Baltimore, I'm thinking about a different side 😂

[@BlueBeamProjectionist]

@@Shay416 he specified Mt Vernon, specifically Calvert St and Charles st. To be fair though, living at Penn and North Ave would technically be walkable, affordable, near retail establishments and public transit lol.

[@WHYOSHO]

I’ve watched too many episodes of the Wire my fiend. Never moving to Baltimore aka Bodymore 😂

[@321erup123]

Great content man

[@urbanist7511]

1. 4:43 Rochester, NY 2. 6:14 Baltimore, MD 3. 7:12 Madison, WI 4. 7:57 St. Louis, MO 5. 8:35 Newark, NJ 6. 9:22 Chicago, IL 7. 10:12 Buffalo, NY 8. 12:36 Minneapolis, MN 9. 13:00 Philadelphia, PA 10. 14:00 Pittsburgh, PA

[@mmmeeelllmmmeeelll]

Honorable Mentions at 11:32 New York, NY San Francisco, CA Seattle, WA Washington DC Boston, MA

[@mattgalper5397]

Thank you for continuing to prove why I will probably never leave Pittsburgh! You're also hyping the neighborhood I'm moving too haha

[@minch5537]

The South Side is getting surprisingly stabby as of late. And it's definitely the party area for college aged and early 20s folks.

[@PalmelaHanderson]

Pittsburgh sounds awesome. I had a buddy try to get me to move there a few years ago. I told him "I already think Portland is too cold, and you want me to move to PITTSBURGH?!"

[@nunyabidness3075]

I looked at Pittsburgh, but my wife is still harboring Steeler hate from the 70’s and 80’s.

[@thedapperdolphin1590]

@@minch5537 South Side is fine. You saw a slight spike in violent crime from the past couple years, but that was driven by isolated incidents, which were mainly from a couple things early last summer. Those incidents got a lot of media coverage, so there’s a perception it’s normal. But it’s really not. You don’t see things happening on a normal basis, and crime is pretty low overall. You can find stats on this type of thing from the county website.

[@rossedwardmiller]

Pittsburgh is great. Got to visit for a work trip thru Sly fox brewing. Can’t wait to go back

[@AwesometownUSA]

I lived in Buffalo (specifically the Allentown area) throughout my 20s and part of my 30s. I got rid of my car halfway through and it was definitely more of a relief than an inconvenience. Also, I was paying $600 for a 3-bedroom attic apartment on a great street - and this was within the last decade(!). It’s a big nightlife / party / drinking town (“we’re a drinking town with a football problem”), which was great for a while but the charm inevitably wore off haha PS go bills

[@anna-mariyablue8580]

I love seeing how you pull the data! Inspires me to do my own analysis of the endless info out there :)

[@matthensle9391]

In Chicago, CDOT has started to add protected bike lanes to long stretches of Milwaukee Ave, a very popular bike route. In the same area there is "the 606",which opened up about a decade ago. It is an elevated, dedicated bike/ped rec path with park and native prairie landscaping that was converted from an old abandoned rail line and now serves as a multiuse transportation corridor in a very busy, trendy, hip part of the city. It's pretty sweet.

[@awibs57]

As a former daily bike commuter between River North (worked for LEYE) and various parts of Logan Square and Avondale (I lived RIGHT on milwaukee by the footage he used!).... all I care is if the buses are no longer allowed to attempt murder on ever biker they pass. It aint the drunks, it aint the cars... it's the buses. The lanes only help if buses can't recklessly mow into them every 10 seconds.

[@thomaslane8721]

The bikers in Chicago have a death wish and over 90% of bikers DONT obey traffic laws and basic common sense

[@awibs57]

@@thomaslane8721 This is also 100% true. I split my time biking and driving (shared car with partner - he drove it to the suburbs most days but I used it in the city for grocery runs), so I was in the extreme minority of people who actually noticed other human beings trying to get around in other ways. The shocked looks I got when I picked up the butt of my bike and scooted over while waiting at a red light so a car could fit past me turn right. I don't know why other cyclists seem to take malicious joy in blocking cars from turning right, and then expect not to have the drivers act the same way in return.

[@M123Xoxo]

How do you bike in sub zero weather and several feet of snow?

[@moushumipardesi4221]

@@M123Xoxo It burns a lot of calories!! Eat steak, bike the snow!

[@BattleStarNerdactia]

As someone who lives in the St. Louis area, you can live in cool buildings in cool neighborhoods for a lot cheaper. The Tower Grove neighborhood has lots of cool brick townhouses for around 500 a month (in a very hip neighborhood I might add). Similarly, the Benton Park and Soulard neighborhoods are super hip and have ~$800 a month apartments

[@sydneymichelle8357]

For a 2 bed 2 bath? I’ve never seen prices that low in Tower Grove in quite a few years.

[@BattleStarNerdactia]

@@sydneymichelle8357 It requires a little luck and patience but you can find a decently priced place. My friend moved to Tower Grove South into a townhouse for $550 a month and it was actually a really nice and historic place

[@kieferlingenfelter]

@@BattleStarNerdactia bro there’s no way. Cheapest you can get in tgs is 800 for a mold infested 1 bed. You want anything remotely nice in tgs you’re paying at least 1100 unless you wanna live on gravois

[@BattleStarNerdactia]

@@kieferlingenfelter I said in another post but it's not likely but it's possible

[@Michael-kp4bd]

As someone who has the privilege of living in a great value area of Chicago but the one thing getting to me is the weather, I feel like out of every city I’ve visited that has more moderate weather, St. Louis is all I’ve seen that really seems to beat the bang for the buck of Chicago (again, without sacrificing even worse seasonal-based unwalkable conditions like the blizzard-torn western lakeside NY). Minneapolis/St Paul also might beat Chi’s value because it has more winter-walkable infrastructure, but the weather is even colder albeit slightly more predictable than Chi 😅 I do wonder what made some great middle-US/slightly southern cities like Louisville or Nashville miss the mark. Maybe most of those cities are not that walkable except downtown where rent is just not that affordable. 🤔

[@5Bazile5]

Great video, I love the idea of mapping walkability against affordability. But what about walkability for wheelchair users? Philly may be walkable, but the sidewalks and curb cuts are a dangerous horror. I’d love to see you do a video for most wheelchair accessible cities.

[@LaQuesaDeMI]

That’s a terrific idea!

[@orangepeelz3579]

this is a great idea! i currently use crutches instead of a walker/wheelchair for my chronic pain (though a wheelchair would be infinitely better) because my city is not very accessible. i'd also love to know wheelchair accessible cities. it's one of the reasons i know i couldnt move to nyc, because i would never be able to handle all the stairs to go in and out of subway stations, so accessible transit options is just as important as accessible sidewalks and such

[@tramsramsey]

Ah yes, rollable cities.

[@zombiesinheels]

I used to live in Pittsburgh and I currently live in Philly. Both are such underrated gems. I genuinely love my neighborhood and the general vibe around Philly is unbeatable if you are tough enough to survive it lol. Highly recommend

[@chloemello9408]

That is absolutely the Philly catch haha. I know people who come here and hate it because they don't wanna put up with the grit, which is fair, but there's more character here than I could have imagined. Philly feels pretty resistant to change (in a good way) compared to other major US cities. Love how the chains and major corps are pretty much restricted to the far outskirts and dead center

[@citylumberjack9169]

@@chloemello9408 Philly is so resistant to change we're still a blue collar union town ... even though the economy is solidly post-industrial and has been for 50 years. The doctors and lawyers here still throw beer in the "700 level" at Iggles games ... :)

[@totallynotabusinessacc]

St. Louisan here, depending on the area, you can find a gem in the rough apartment wise for below market rate if you're lucky. It's getting progressively more difficult, finding a decent 2 bedroom under $1,200 is a dime a dozen. Especially in walkable areas like Central West End or The Grove- that are all being bought up by Washington University or Cortex investors who are building market rate units. The south side of Manchester road, cutting through The Grove, is an especially tricky area- as they've bulldozed entire blocks of 1900's homes to build apartment complex's with massive tax abatements. Not to mention around Tower Grove Park the reduction in units as there are many conversions from 4 family into single family homes. It's worthy of it's own video essay in itself

[@CityNerd]

I would like to get to St. Louis and really dig into some of this. I do love the city, but it's not without problems, and very segregated of course.

[@jtb1515]

@@CityNerd If you ever stop by I am sure that there are many people that would be more than happy to take you on a proper tour of our unique places like the city museum.

[@dhoffman2290]

In the spirit of the video, your under 2k or $1400 apartment in CWE is going to be SMALL. You may get better value downtown (for good walkability) which is or isn't resurgent, maybe depending on the year or season. So if you're cool doing all your grocery shopping at the brand new Whole Foods Market, then yeah CWE is your jam. Not to mention if you're pulling high six figures at a walkable major hospital complex job! There's also Straub's for groceries, but to be honest, I think you'd be saving $ shopping at WF!🙂

[@kenhunt5153]

Buffalo is certainly worth a look. The area around Hertel Ave, Richmond, the Five Points and the older suburbs of Kenmore and Tonawanda. Hamburg and East Aurora are great places to live too. Kayak, paddleboard and boating for the Inner and Outer Harbor. The Buffalo River has the greatest collection of grain elevators in the world. A major modern art museum, the masters of architecture and the City is great for bike riding.

[@IskrxmZI]

bike ferry and bikeshare are also nice, just don't strech the usefulnes of the bikeshare bikes (shoreline trail hills weren't fun)

[@chromebomb]

if the weather wasn't so bad in the winter it would be americas most live able city.

[@David-dx5wz]

You forgot the 6 months of the year where we’re a frozen tundra. I haven’t seen the sun for more than 30 minutes in over a month and it’s actually making me depressed.

[@CC-dh2vi]

Thank you for this. Super interesting. Just found your channel. Will be watching more.

[@bingobongo0001]

i feel as though buffalo is very underrated. it's quite walkable and has a ton of fun events that go on throughout the year. i totally recommend!

[@r.pres.4121]

I live in Buffalo and most of the neighborhoods are pleasant and walkable. However the downtown is stagnant and dead. The waterfront is pitiful. Allentown and Elmwood are awesome neighborhoods and there are plenty of businesses to walk to. North Buffalo is also a very beautiful area of the city.

[@DanaBlack]

After nearly a decade in the Phoenix metro I've moved to a much smaller town within a few hours of both Rochester and Buffalo and it is night and day compared to the sprawl I was living in. Older towns and cities in the northeast might be small, but being built pre-1900 they're all completely walkable and bikable, we just have a car for weekend trips outside of town.

[@brothermayihavesomeloops7048]

Interestingly, my boyfriend and I had to scrap our plans to move to Syracuse because we found that outside of downtown, he just didn't feel safe enough to bike with the lack of infrastructure and very different traffic patterns from where we currently live. :(

[@conwellmorris9825]

You should take a look at the bike infrastructure in pittsburgh

[@vikkiikki1226]

I love how you explain your methods. I wish I could find people who breakdown other topics like this.

[@frigginjerk]

I'm a Buffalonian who walks a lot. I live pretty close to the Allentown area shown here. The metro area has its share of sprawl further out in the suburbs, but as a city resident I'm able to walk to where I work, and do most general errands without using my car.

[@r.pres.4121]

I live in the Elmwood Village neighborhood which is an awesome place for walkability. During the summer months I depend on my road bike to get around. During the winter months, I use the bus. My street is very quiet and pleasant however my place of residence is a bit on the tiny side.

[@jacobbernard1393]

Baltimorean here, yeah, you can definitely get a really nice place in a high-demand neighborhood for $2000 and below. Everyone really is sleeping on it.

[@jacobbernard1393]

For reference, my house is a 1500 sqft 3 bed 3 bath rowhouse in Federal Hill, with a complete rooftop deck, for $2000 a month, including property taxes, insurance, etc.

[@Brooklyn94269]

Totally agree, I’m in Middle East 1 block from Hopkins Hospital, and at 1500 a month , for a 1600sq ft , our walk score is excellent in this particular location

[@kb_100]

I have relatives in Baltimore (Greektown). They tell me that transit is bad in Baltimore because planners didn't want an easy means for poorer non-white people to access the more affluent parts of town. Do you know if this is accurate? Because Baltimore underperforms in transit for a city of its age and density and I can't figure out why. The metro is only one line, and the tram is not very useful either.

[@Brooklyn94269]

@@kb_100 I think the heavy rail system is bad being that there’s only one line. But there is a light rail that runs from BWI airport north/south through downtown / midtown and the bus system is pretty robust in my opinion. Buses are everywhere and running all the time . Given the city’s age, sure it may be lacking , but given the city’s size and reputation , I believe the public transit is better than cities of its relative size as I believe almost 20% of residents use public transportation in Baltimore to commute which is decent as the only cities higher are the ones with more robust systems and train service

[@sebastianjoseph2828]

@@kb_100 Transit is bad in that it is not extensive and doesn't go a lot of where you need to. Unlike DC, all but the most hardcore urbanist or poorer households have a car in Baltimore. I don't have much experience with buses in Baltimore, which are the most useful to be fair. The metro was planned as five lines but only one was built. A 2nd light rail line (look up the Red Line) was cancelled in 2015 by the incoming governor. I wouldn't doubt that racism played a part, but the gist is that many affluent families moved out of Baltimore and for decades it's been neglected as a lost cause. The city unfortunately lacks a tax base within the city and the state has either been hostile, negligent, or focused on the DC area suburbs instead.

[@Gary_C]

I'm from PA and I was blown away by my small city's walk score... until I saw they count a GNC and a chiropractor as grocery and a redbox kiosk as entertainment. I'm not making that up.

[@mediochreeuchre8391]

Okay, but WalkScore will also count GNCs and chiropractors as grocery stores in San Francisco or Boston so you're getting an apples to apples comparison, even they don't get the categories perfect.

[@bensezer7966]

Great to see some appreciation for Jersey! In a similar vein to Newark, tons of cities and towns in northern New Jersey are very walkable and have great access to transit. What makes Newark stand out is the price, which is mostly due to a negative reputation. It also isn’t very walkable in the downtown specifically after it was destroyed to make 6 lane roads and office towers, which has been part of the problem Newark has been having with attempting to revitalize the downtown. Other areas like the Ironbound are some of the most walkable in NJ. Other cities like Plainfield, Elizabeth, and Paterson are affordable too but rapidly becoming more expensive, even with massive amounts of new apartments going up.

[@JoaoPedro-sb5sq]

Grew up in Ironbound area of Newark. I'm Brazilian and I am fond of how much immigrant influence there is in that area. Granted the rent prices are absurd right now and parking is a nightmare (the latter of which you'd think is good until you have to deal with double-parkers). My parents, like most of our neighbors, work in construction / house cleaning and need cars to go far away to their clients, so there just isn't enough parking for the amount of cars in the Ironbound. The crime rate is very low compared to other areas in Newark, especially considering it's been a blue collar region for years. IMO it's a neighborhood characterized by people trying to get a better life than they otherwise would have in their home countries, so even though it's not a "wealthy" demographic per-se, that positive mentality contributes to lack of crime. I did notice it's gotten gentrified towards Penn Station, probably to accommodate NYC commuters. VERY walkable neighborhood, and I only don't live there because I wanted to move away from the place where I grew up, but I highly recommend at least visiting the Ironbound. As for downtown Newark, I personally didn't feel very safe when I used to walk through Market St on my way to school. In some areas the streets are wide and scary to cross. Really I can only recommend the Ironbound from my experience.

[@Jl-pm6fp]

Thanks for this useful and fun analysis!

[@sirjuly2791]

I knew Pittsburgh and Philadelphia were gonna be on the top 3! They truly are such underrated cities!

[@liamhodgson]

Walking tips for PGH: 1. South side trail is great for walking but it has some twists and turns so if you are biking please slow down! This one is the one that leads to Color Park 2. Ask a local about the stairs while you are exploring, many aren’t marked and they vary greatly in upkeep. Most marked ones are great especially in the s side slopes and greenfield (underrated neighborhoods) 3. Hot metal bridge is great but the Bates corridor from Oakland is not very good. They have signalized the off ramp from the highway tho and it’s now ADA accessible, but still use caution 4. By all means take the inclines to Mt Washington but at some point definitely make the climb too. I recommend Arlington Ave, the Knoxville incline Greenway, and especially the PJ Mcardle roadway. Try to time PJ mcardle so the incline car passes over you while you are walking 5. Walking around Deutschtown kind of feels like parts of Philly, which is to say nice narrow streets with cool old row houses 6. Squirrel hill is great but walking to it from Oakland or shadyside be careful in the winter due to the slope. 7. Definitely walk to the strip through Polish hill, it feels like a different country sometimes due to the steepness and being tucked away

[@Chel.C.B]

You do a lot of work for these videos - thank you!

[@paolamucino7842]

We moved from Houston to Rochester, NY 4 years ago for grad school. Due ti the pandemic work after graduation became remote, so we stayed here because and we love it!

[@LanceBoos]

Buffalonian here (thank you for getting it right!), and I have to say that Buffalo's walkability tends to be in pockets (Elmwood Village, Allentown, Hertel) but the walkable areas are not as well-connected as I'd like, and downtown devotes way too much space to surface parking. The bike infrastructure is pretty good, and the bus network has excellent coverage but not great frequency, especially as it pushes out into the suburbs. Prices are indeed pretty reasonable since the population dropped from 500,000 to 250,000 beginning in the 1950s. Anyway, thanks for showing us some Buffalove!

[@MarcanthonyHarrison]

Go bills!

[@LanceBoos]

@@MarcanthonyHarrison Go Bills!

[@chromebomb]

Buffalo IMO has the most potential for a mid size city in the USA for great urban living. Yall have a subway for gosh darn sakes. I live in CA but i really want to move to Buffalo, or at least live in Buffalo from March-Nov and CA Dec-Feb lol

[@MarcanthonyHarrison]

@@chromebomb if you do that move to Buffalo April to October

[@LanceBoos]

@@chromebomb Buffalo definitely punches above its weight class as a city, despite decades of post-industrial decline. World class museums, excellent music scene, great food, and perfect weather!

[@bignol1053]

Minneapolis is definitely very walkable in several neighborhoods, but I would add a caveat that winter and early spring can be an absolute hell-scape for walking. Property owners are responsible for shoveling and de-icing sidewalks, including access to crossings, and many of them door a poor job. The crossings are also usually blocked in by the snowplows, creating massive ice and snow barriers that you have to scale on both sides of the crossing. And in spring, there are massive puddles at a lot of intersections due to the snow melt and blocked drains (see Lake Chipotle for an extreme example). Sometimes it is just easier to walk in the street when that happens. We need municipal sidewalk clearing!

[@billricheter5678]

Horrible weather there. No thanks

[@bananatassium7009]

honestly i don't really mind the winters here at all with how efficiently the major roads get cleared of the dangerous stuff after a storm, it's handled pretty well and that + the variety of winter makes it up for me

[@hannibalkemet9824]

Minneapolis is not that walkable unless you live near the light rails.

[@ubxs113]

I live in Saint Paul and take the LR to DT Minneapolis for work. The cold is fine, you can always add another layer. But people clearing their sidewalks in the winter, especially like the one we’re having now with lots of snow, a major issue that makes walking much more difficult.

[@YuffieEvans]

Minneapolis has excellent lake trails with so many lakes in the city. Let’s be honest, we all prefer a scenic lake walk over street walking. So Minneapolis is very walkable even with the weather

[@joeprem5809]

Great video! Just moved to Philly a few months ago and it is INDEED very walkable and a great bang for your buck! 👌🏼 not to mention the amazing food and sights

[@BrianWaltonDeveloper]

Super interesting! Thanks for making this

[@CityNerd]

Glad you liked it!

[@Brooklyn94269]

Baltimore easily the best bang for your buck in the east coast . Very affordable , high demand neighborhoods , walkable neighborhoods for relatively decent prices . Not to mention 45 min - 1 hour car ride / train ride to DC in most of these neighborhoods I’m referring to

[@Brooklyn94269]

Also to confirm , you can get a 2 bed for. 1500 in the mount Vernon/ midtown area. It has a nice nightlife and is is walkable to penn station , downtown , not far from Fed Hill , fells point and station north . You can also buy a row home in that area for less than 300k

[@WillmobilePlus]

Can't imagine why that is..... Lots of BANG for the buck should clue you in.

[@Brooklyn94269]

@@WillmobilePlus loll

[@bryanklepacki8844]

This video was super well done, showing the rent, the vibes of the cities

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Newark's reputation keeps it inexpensive, compared to Jersey City rents which keep going up because of demand. For a commute city, Newark has its advantages. It’s on the Northeast Corridor, with the PATH you can get to NYC for cheap, there’s an international airport with a United hub at your doorstep, you can watch a hockey game or concert downtown at the Prudential Center, or perhaps ballet at NJPAC also downtown, eat at a Portuguese restaurant in the Ironbound, you can take an NJT train from either Newark Penn or Broad Street, and the Newark Light Rail acts like a subway! My mom is from Newark (she grew up in the northern part you mentioned) so I’ve been many times. Never felt like I was any danger there. People who still talk smack about Newark have never been there. Newark IS changing, and Cory Booker spearheaded that change.

[@vladimirad]

Pittsburgh was a lovely city when I visited over 10 years ago. Coming from another steel town up in Canada, I was amazed already what a transformation a city could have even when the main source of employment dwindle or had mostly shut down.

[@tzacharyn]

As a pgh resident, I figured we'd maybe be in the top 15, but #1??? I'm so pleasantly surprised. Makes me so happy I just bought a home here. 2 bed/2 bath with minimal work needed for $110k! Definitely an affordable city. I love it here.

[@brandonmoore644]

Born and Raised in Chesapeake VA. It was an absolute walking hellscape to grow-up. Nothing was walkable, I couldn’t wait to get my license. I now live in Washington DC, once parents visited a few times, they sold their house and moved 10 mins away from me and the kiddos. My mom said she didn’t know what she was missing all those years.

[@michaelmeehan9553]

I would love to see you do something like this with Canadian cities. I've seen Vancouver pop up on some of your other videos and I suspect Montreal would rank off the charts for most of the videos you produce. The transit, walking and biking infrastructure in Montreal has got to be the best in North America. I suspect there's a lot we can learn in terms of urbanism from Canadian cities.

[@bonemar66]

Zillow apparently runs a top-notch statistical agency, with an unimpeachable observable rent index. If only there were something like that in Canada.

[@IndyGuy65]

I have a friend who moved from LA to Pittsburgh and was able to buy a 2 bedroom house in a walkable area close to restaurants and bars etc. Looking forward to visiting Pittsburgh.

[@AZaqZaqProduction]

Honestly for Arizona having low walkability is totally understandable. I certainly wouldn't want to spend any time outside there in the summer.

[@SuperTyden]

driving in Arizona is so nice because it's built for driving fist and foremost. it's not like driving around NYC or Philly. the streets are all straight, no pedestrians, the lights make sense. it's terrible for pedestrians, don't get me wrong! but for driving it's a breeze

[@coasterjaz89]

Also agree, Phoenix metro is almost a driver’s paradise in comparison to other cities of comparable size. I would much rather drive in Phoenix than Los Angeles.

[@markproulx1472]

One reason why this channel is worth watching is that the assertions are backed by defensible methodologies. I really appreciate that.

[@zgk815]

This was exactly the kind of video I was looking for! I wish you could get more granular! Maybe find out the most undervalued neighborhoods in each region of the country or metro area, or city. Or a video on how to do such analysis in any area.

[@michaelalm2267]

I used to live above Murray Avenue Kosher in Pittsburgh! I moved to France years ago, but I will always have fond memories of living in Pittsburgh and sometimes yearn to go back. A truly wonderful place to live with countless interesting neighborhoods to discover.

[@joelbermudez4504]

I'm so happy you included Newark. I recently moved up here for work, and I love it. The Ironbound district is super cool, diverse, and clean. There are a lot of walkable beautiful areas in this city!

[@johndoyle3514]

Yes, Ironbound is very cool. The area that was called out here (Bloomfield Ave.) is not cool.

[@SpiralBreeze]

Yeah I lived all over Newark Ironbound is definitely the best, but the neighborhood has changed a lot and since I’ve left I heard it’s gotten pretty dangerous, a lot of muggings which never happened when I lived there.

[@natalias1212]

In Newark, I was attending some training, was scared to walk in the center during the day.

[@olderandorganized]

My city has a walk score of 97!! and a bike score of 87. Transit score is only 50. But with a population of 44.7k, it didn't make your cut. I checked ZORI - & it's just over $2k - very tight housing market here (Burlington VT).

[@jackieburns1366]

Thank you for showing us how you analyzed the data!!

[@msuspartan2016]

A lot of these places are food deserts. Food deserts are one of the hardest things to solve. Grocery stores operate at a 1-2% profit in the best areas. It’s so hard to make that investment in poorer communities and ultimately a car-free, even car-life life. That’s why you can get such a nice apartment in Baltimore for so cheap, the same is true here in Fort Worth and other cities

[@cinnanyan]

Based on their methodology, WalkScore actually drops considerably if there are few or no restaurants and groceries in an area.

[@mikeddh2018]

Mt. Vernon isn't a poor community. The people that live there live pretty comfortably. Are food deserts a problem in the U.S.? Absolutely, but it's doubtful that the correlation between poorer neighborhoods and food deserts applied to this video given that he's highlighted neighborhoods that aren't poor.

[@tealmer3528]

Ahold-Delhaize has been opening up unique Giant Heirloom Markets in Philadelphia, which really fill the role of the affordable, hyperlocal, walkable grocery store America needs. Grocery stores have been opening like crazy ever since Philly let developers add a floor to their building as long as they have a grocery store that sells fresh food on the ground floor.

[@swurlnplot]

It's true. Baltimore is full of food deserts

[@notthegoatseguy]

@@cinnanyan I think Walk Score often has a tough time with grocery access. "Joe's Market" attached to a gas station that sells milk for $9 is counted the same as a Kroger, Aldi or Walmart selling milk for $2-3 a gallon.

[@52_Pickup]

Thanks once again for bringing Minneapolis back to the top 3, and thanks for finally giving Rochester NY and Western NY more creds! I will make note that we have been aggressively increasing housing supply, not just in the core Twin Cities but across the board into suburbia, especially through transit oriented development along existing and future rail lines. Bloomington MN in particular has seen a substantial infill transformation around the Blue Line LRT with tons of apartments and even some mixed use plans, and all for under $2,000/mo rents across the board! High supply, through zoning reforms and parking minimum eliminations have allowed a wave of new construction which has made competition for rents a lot higher, thus lowering prices, though that isn't the only set of factors driving rent to be more affordable here. It's worth noting that the example neighborhood you picked along Nicollet Ave is along one of the highest ridership bus lines in the state, the 18 Downtown, and has plans as a future streetcar or LRT line upgrade. Rochester NY certainly has been pushing harder to walkability and cycling upgrades, the neighborhood you showed of course being on the newly built infill development along the former Inner Loop segment, which now Rochester is going to be infilling the Inner Loop North segment as well to continue this better urbanism. Though they don't have rapid transit plans yet, RTS does provide some good bus services and a solid on-demand shuttle service with cheap fares.

[@advokatie]

jk please dont kill me

[@LaQuesaDeMI]

That’s really interesting! I was under the impression that Minneapolis rent was probably increasing but good to know they’re taking efforts regarding that.

[@Dalt21]

I'm surprised rochester made the list. In my opinion Buffalo and Syracuse are more walkable. Downtown rochester lacks a lot. You'll need a car there.