New York Continues to Dominate the Walk Score Rankings

It's almost as if every city not named New York is competing for second place when Walk Score releases its annual ranking of most walkable cities. Of course, the top ten is quite an accomplishment: so welcome to the club, Long Beach, California.

1 minute read

May 4, 2016, 9:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Walkable Street

Marques / Shutterstock

Walk Score released an updated version of its annual ranking of the most walkable cities in the United States. In addition to the intractable stronghold New York City has on the top spot, San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Seattle, and Oakland all held down their spots from the previous year's list. The first change comes at #10, where Long Beach replaces Baltimore.

In a post sharing the new rankings, Amy Musser notes that Long Beach's appearance on the list marks Southern California's return to the list after two years falling short of the top ten. The post provides some detail on how Long Beach improved so much in so little time—its total gain of 3.2 points was the largest improvement of any of the top ten cities. Of the top 50 most walkable cities, Omaha had the largest improvement, gaining 4.3 points since last year.

Shannon Rooney picked up the news for The Philadelphia Inquirer, reporting Philadelphia's strong showing at #4.

Thursday, April 28, 2016 in Redfin

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

July 11 - Real Change

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

July 11 - Shelterforce Magazine

Green bike share bikes parked in a row on a commercial street with outdoor dining and greenery.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive

Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

July 11 - Cities Today