Real Estate

Best cities for people who hate driving

Written by:
October 2, 2018
Michael Cornelius // Flickr

Best cities for people who hate driving

Road trips aren’t for everybody; in fact, cities around America have been making major changes to become more friendly to bike-riders and pedestrians. Public transportation is now a priority in many urban areas and streets are being redeveloped to be more attractive for walking, especially for younger people who might not use a car. To back that up, data shows that millennials actually rely on biking and public transportation far more than previous generations. As Americans in urban areas move away from automobiles as their primary form of transit, it’s helpful to know which cities cater to those who choose to go car-less for any number of reasons.


To identify the best cities for people who hate driving, Stacker used data from Walk Score that combines the site’s patented Walk Score, Transit Score, and Bike Score methodology to form a “Green Transit Score.” This data analyzes hundreds of routes based on their distance to certain amenities, as well as population density, biking infrastructure, and transit route usefulness. Any ties were broken by the city with the higher population. Read on to discover which island capital city cracked the top 25, and which West Coast tech hub took the #1 spot on the list.

RELATED: Cost of gas the year you started driving

1 / 50
rachaelvorhees // Flickr

#50. Las Vegas, NV

Green transit score: 42.2
Bike score: 52.0
Transit score: 33.6
Walk score: 41.1
Population: 583,756

2 / 50
Artsystyk386 // WIkimedia Commons

#49. Orlando, FL

Green transit score: 42.6
Bike score: 53.0
Transit score: 32.7
Walk score: 42.1
Population: 238,300

3 / 50
Michael Cornelius // Flickr

#48. Lincoln, NE

Green transit score: 43.0
Bike score: 62.3
Transit score: 24.1
Walk score: 42.7
Population: 258,379

4 / 50
RadicalBender // Wikimedia Commons

#47. Dallas, TX

Green transit score: 43.2
Bike score: 43.7
Transit score: 39.7
Walk score: 46.2
Population: 1,197,816

5 / 50
Metro Bus // Flickr

#46. Cincinnati, OH

Green transit score: 43.7
Bike score: 37.0
Transit score: 43.6
Walk score: 50.4
Population: 296,943

6 / 50
lxnayonthetimmay // Wikimedia Commons

#45. Phoenix, AZ

Green transit score: 43.7
Bike score: 54.3
Transit score: 36.0
Walk score: 40.8
Population: 1,445,632

7 / 50
Chris English // Wikimedia Commons

#44. Albuquerque, NM

Green transit score: 44.1
Bike score: 59.6
Transit score: 29.9
Walk score: 42.7
Population: 545,852

8 / 50
Ziggzagzac // Wikimedia Commons

#43. Spokane, WA

Green transit score: 44.1
Bike score: 48.6
Transit score: 35.8
Walk score: 48.0
Population: 208,916

9 / 50
LaSar Development Corporation // Flickr

#42. San Diego, CA

Green transit score: 44.5
Bike score: 45.5
Transit score: 37.0
Walk score: 50.9
Population: 1,307,402

10 / 50
I Bike Fresno // Flickr

#41. Fresno, CA

Green transit score: 44.5
Bike score: 55.9
Transit score: 31.3
Walk score: 46.3
Population: 494,665

11 / 50
CityofStPete // Flickr

#40. St. Petersburg, FL

Green transit score: 44.6
Bike score: 56.1
Transit score: 34.3
Walk score: 43.4
Population: 244,769

12 / 50
Bobak // Wikimedia Commons

#39. Tampa, FL

Green transit score: 44.9
Bike score: 53.2
Transit score: 31.5
Walk score: 50.0
Population: 335,709

13 / 50
ArtisticOperations // Pixabay

#38. Houston, TX

Green transit score: 44.9
Bike score: 49.3
Transit score: 36.8
Walk score: 48.7
Population: 2,099,451

14 / 50
Roman Eugeniusz // Wikimedia Commons

#37. Paradise, NV

Green transit score: 46.7
Bike score: 53.1
Transit score: 38.3
Walk score: 48.8
Population: 223,167

15 / 50
David Guo // Flickr

#36. Irvine, CA

Green transit score: 46.8
Bike score: 69.7
Transit score: 27.2
Walk score: 43.5
Population: 212,375

16 / 50
Jeffrey Beall // Wikimedia Commons

#35. Aurora, CO

Green transit score: 47.3
Bike score: 60.8
Transit score: 38.5
Walk score: 42.6
Population: 325,078

17 / 50
Internet Association // Flickr

#34. Fremont, CA

Green transit score: 47.5
Bike score: 61.1
Transit score: 37.3
Walk score: 44.2
Population: 214,089

18 / 50
Ken L. // Flickr

#33. Anaheim, CA

Green transit score: 47.8
Bike score: 51.9
Transit score: 37.1
Walk score: 54.5
Population: 336,265

19 / 50
Max Wolfe // Wikimedia Commons

#32. Tucson, AZ

Green transit score: 48.2
Bike score: 67.9
Transit score: 34.2
Walk score: 42.4
Population: 520,116

20 / 50
Chris Yunker // Wikimedia Commons

#31. Atlanta, GA

Green transit score: 48.4
Bike score: 49.9
Transit score: 46.0
Walk score: 49.2
Population: 420,003

21 / 50
Russ // Flickr

#30. Detroit, MI

Green transit score: 49.5
Bike score: 55.0
Transit score: 38.1
Walk score: 55.4
Population: 713,777

22 / 50
SPUR // Wikimedia Commons

#29. San Jose, CA

Green transit score: 49.6
Bike score: 56.9
Transit score: 41.3
Walk score: 50.5
Population: 945,942

23 / 50
he who would be lost // Flickr

#28. Sacramento, CA

Green transit score: 49.9
Bike score: 68.9
Transit score: 33.7
Walk score: 47.1
Population: 466,488

24 / 50
Enlightenedment // Wikimedia Commons

#27. Pittsburgh, PA

Green transit score: 52.1
Bike score: 39.9
Transit score: 54.4
Walk score: 61.9
Population: 305,704

25 / 50
Center for Neighborhood Technology // Wikimedia Commons

#26. Cleveland, OH

Green transit score: 52.5
Bike score: 50.8
Transit score: 47.1
Walk score: 59.5
Population: 396,815

26 / 50
Richard Hurd // Flickr

#25. Madison, WI

Green transit score: 53.2
Bike score: 72.6
Transit score: 38.4
Walk score: 48.7
Population: 233,209

27 / 50
Pedro Szekely // Wikimedia Commons

#24. New Orleans, LA

Green transit score: 54.0
Bike score: 60.1
Transit score: 44.2
Walk score: 57.6
Population: 343,829

28 / 50
Anthony Quintano // Flickr

#23. Honolulu, HI

Green transit score: 55.4
Bike score: 45.2
Transit score: 57.2
Walk score: 63.7
Population: 337,256

29 / 50
Paul Sableman // Flickr

#22. St. Louis, MO

Green transit score: 55.5
Bike score: 56.9
Transit score: 45.2
Walk score: 64.5
Population: 319,294

30 / 50
Robert Torynski // Flickr

#21. Rochester, NY

Green transit score: 55.6
Bike score: 58.9
Transit score: 43.2
Walk score: 64.6
Population: 210,565

31 / 50
Runner1928 // Wikimedia Commons

#20. St. Paul, MN

Green transit score: 56.1
Bike score: 62.1
Transit score: 47.4
Walk score: 58.9
Population: 285,068

32 / 50
Nandaro // Wikimedia Commons

#19. Santa Ana, CA

Green transit score: 56.2
Bike score: 57.1
Transit score: 45.5
Walk score: 66.1
Population: 324,528

33 / 50
Roger Puta // Wikimedia Commons

#18. Buffalo, NY

Green transit score: 57.3
Bike score: 54.5
Transit score: 49.5
Walk score: 67.8
Population: 261,310

34 / 50
daveynin // Flickr

#17. Los Angeles, CA

Green transit score: 58.3
Bike score: 56.0
Transit score: 51.5
Walk score: 67.4
Population: 3,792,621

35 / 50
Seraphimblade // Wikimedia Commons

#16. Denver, CO

Green transit score: 59.9
Bike score: 71.3
Transit score: 47.8
Walk score: 60.5
Population: 600,158

36 / 50
Payton Chung // Flickr

#15. Baltimore, MD

Green transit score: 60.9
Bike score: 56.1
Transit score: 57.2
Walk score: 69.4
Population: 620,961

37 / 50
Dan L.mark // Flickr

#14. Long Beach, CA

Green transit score: 62.6
Bike score: 66.4
Transit score: 51.4
Walk score: 69.9
Population: 462,257

38 / 50
Steve Morgan // Wikimedia Commons

#13. Portland, OR

Green transit score: 62.7
Bike score: 72.0
Transit score: 51.4
Walk score: 64.7
Population: 583,776

39 / 50
sonofabike // Flickr

#12. Oakland, CA

Green transit score: 63.1
Bike score: 60.9
Transit score: 56.3
Walk score: 72.0
Population: 390,724

40 / 50
N I C O L A // Flickr

#11. Seattle, WA

Green transit score: 65.2
Bike score: 63.0
Transit score: 59.6
Walk score: 73.1
Population: 608,660

41 / 50
821292 // Pixabay

#10. Miami, FL

Green transit score: 65.4
Bike score: 59.7
Transit score: 57.2
Walk score: 79.2
Population: 399,457

42 / 50
Paul Sableman // Flickr

#9. Newark, NJ

Green transit score: 65.6
Bike score: 51.1
Transit score: 65.2
Walk score: 80.4
Population: 277,140

43 / 50
Ben Schuman // Wikimedia Commons

#8. Arlington, VA

Green transit score: 66.2
Bike score: 71.0
Transit score: 58.8
Walk score: 68.9
Population: 207,627

44 / 50
IIP Photo Archive // Flickr

#7. Minneapolis, MN

Green transit score: 69.4
Bike score: 81.3
Transit score: 57.6
Walk score: 69.2
Population: 382,578

45 / 50
Rene Schwietzke // Flickrhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/rene-germany/3998274749

#6. Chicago, IL

Green transit score: 71.0
Bike score: 70.2
Transit score: 65.0
Walk score: 77.8
Population: 2,695,598

46 / 50
Kjetil Ree // Wikimedia Commons

#5. Philadelphia, PA

Green transit score: 71.1
Bike score: 67.5
Transit score: 66.8
Walk score: 79.0
Population: 1,526,006

47 / 50
StockSnap // Pixabay

#4. Washington, D.C.

Green transit score: 71.8
Bike score: 69.5
Transit score: 68.5
Walk score: 77.3
Population: 601,723

48 / 50
Whoisjohngalt // WIkimedia Commons

#3. Boston, MA

Green transit score: 74.6
Bike score: 70.3
Transit score: 72.6
Walk score: 80.9
Population: 617,594

49 / 50
Aude // Wikimedia Commons

#2. Jersey City, NJ

Green transit score: 74.7
Bike score: 66.3
Transit score: 70.6
Walk score: 87.3
Population: 247,597

50 / 50
Christian Mehlführer // WIkimedia Commons

#1. San Francisco, CA

Green transit score: 80.5
Bike score: 75.1
Transit score: 80.4
Walk score: 86.0
Population: 805,235

Trending Now