Analysis Reveals 75% of Americans Reside in Car-Dependent Areas
A new population-weighted analysis by BestNeighborhood, utilizing U.S. Census block data, reveals that three-quarters of Americans live in car-dependent environments. The study finds that only 9% of the population resides in walkable areas (scoring 70 or higher on the Walk Grade scale), while over half of all residents live in areas with a score between 0 and 10. Geographic disparities are significant, with New York City leading the 50 largest metropolitan areas at 47% walkability. In contrast, 21 of the 50 largest metros have walkability rates of 4% or lower. The report highlights a heavy concentration of car dependency in the Southern United States, specifically noting that Mississippi and Alabama see 92% of residents living in car-dependent zones.
