What’s a Walkability Score?

When looking at home listings and comparing neighborhoods, you may notice a number attached to the listing or neighborhood called “walkability score.” Have you ever wondered what that means?

Walkability score measures how easy it is to get around in an area on foot. The higher the walkability score, the more pedestrian-friendly an area is.

Walkability scores can be helpful when choosing a new place to live or visit. If you’re looking for a place where you can easily walk to nearby shops and restaurants, for example, a high walkability score is a good indicator that you’ll be able to do just that.

The Walkscore.com website calculates the Walkability Score of a property. Walkability scores are calculated using several factors, including the number of nearby amenities, population density, street connectivity, and block size. These factors play a role in how easy it is (or isn’t) to get around on foot.

Rankings are based on a 0 – 100 scale. Here’s how the scores translate to an area’s walkability:

• 90 – 100: Walker’s Paradise. Daily errands do not require a car.
• 70 – 89: Very Walkable. Most errands can be accomplished on foot.
• 50 – 69: Somewhat Walkable. Some errands can be accomplished on foot.
• 25 – 49: Car-Dependent. Most errands require a car.
• 0 – 24: Car-Dependent. Almost all errands require a car.

In addition to a Walkability Score, Walk Score also evaluates for Transit Score (how well a location is served by public transit) and Bike Score (whether an area is suitable for biking). 

These scores can help you determine your values when buying a home. They can also be helpful to profile the kind of buyer who might be interested in a home you’re selling. It’s important to understand that a high or low walkability score is not necessarily bad. It all depends on personal values, such as people that dislike highly-trafficked areas.

One of the attractive qualities of living in an area like Prescott, Arizona, is the luxury of area attractions being close enough to reach by walking. The many levels of Prescott’s Walkability make it attractive to a wide range of homebuyers. Residents near downtown can walk to the numerous venues and shops located in the famous, beautiful, and historic downtown. Along with this, the Prescott Area offers communities that are rural and separated from high traffic.

How to Use the Service

1. Simply enter an address 
2. That’s it!

If you’re curious about your own home’s walkability score, or you’d like to learn about the most and least walkable neighborhoods in a given city, you can search for addresses on the Walk Score website at http://www.walkscore.com/.

You will get reports of the pros and cons of walking and biking from that address to nearby shops and attractions. The service also supplies a map of the area that was analyzed.

If you are curious about the communities in the Prescott Area or are looking for your new home, contact me today, I’d be happy to help you will all of your real estate needs!