COMMUTING BY FOOT
Some towns are more pedestrian-friendly than others
We're amazed at how many new developments lack sidewalks, let alone streets that make you want to stroll. So at the suggestion of an ePodunk user who is searching for walkable towns, we decided to crunch some numbers.
We narrowed our search to cities, towns and boroughs with populations of 2,500 to 10,000. And then we analyzed data from the 2000 Census, dividing the number of workers by the number of workers who said they walked to their jobs.
We came up with an interesting list that includes some wonderful places. (Geneseo, NY, and Middlebury, VT, are two of our favorites).
The list (at right) ranks communities with the highest proportion of people who said they walked to work. It favors college towns and resort areas. It excludes affluent communities where real estate values force many workers to live in more affordable, outlying areas.
Our list also shows a distinct bias toward the older, denser communities of the Northeast. Because our data is based on people in the workforce, retirement areas are also absent from our rankings.
We're sure you'll have comments, complaints and suggestions. Please post them in our ePodunk forums.
July 2003
Other top 10 lists
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| WALKABLE SMALL TOWNS |
Caneadea, NY
Alfred, NY
Houghton, MI
Oberlin, OH
Lewisburg, PA
Gettysburg, PA
Mansfield, PA
Hamilton, NY
Swarthmore, PA
Selinsgrove, PA
Lexington, VA
Clarion, PA
Williamstown, MA
Geneseo, NY
Middlebury, VT
Provincetown, MA
Orono, ME
Slippery Rock, PA
California, PA
St. Joseph, MN
St. Peter, MN
Cape May, NJ
Lock Haven, PA
Edinboro, PA
Grinnell, IA
Huntingdon, PA
Otsego, NY
Albion, MI
Ford City, PA
Beaver Falls, PA
Morris, MN
West Reading, PA
Plymouth, NH
Waynesburg, PA
Bar Harbor, ME
Fredonia, WI
Millersville, PA
Wildwood, NJ
Hillsboro, KS
Johnson, VT
Montpelier, VT
Ely, MN
Coudersport, PA
Northfield, VT
Sayre, PA
Platteville, WI
Jerusalem, NY
Lindsborg, KS
Kutztown, PA
Caledonia, MN
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