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!

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Images
- London Eye Video by Davide Giordani from Pixabay
- Pancakes Image by khairicherus from Pixabay
- Opening city pan Video by shadi6454 from Pixabay

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CityNerd background: Caipirinha in Hawaii by Carmen María and Edu Espinal (YouTube music library)

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[merrywalsh]

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!

[zacharyostrand]

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

[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.

[edenglesener]

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

[Fanw]

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!

[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.

[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

[dylanwelch]

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.

[jamesslate]

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.

[guitardude]

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

[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 Even though they might be at the bottom right now, they're putting in the effort to improve.

[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 :)

[dirtycommie]

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.

[chasefarmer]

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.

[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.

[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.

[avikaj.]

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

[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!❤🎉

[sebastianjoseph]

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.

[daviddonovan]

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!