The walking experts at global footwear company Kuru dug deep into data from the last four years to answer two questions.
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First, which walkable cities in the United States are considered safe for pedestrians? And which cities, though technically walkable, are dangerous for pedestrians?
To rank the winners and losers, Kuru specialists dug deep into data from 2022 up to 2026. They looked at Walk Score’s fore US’s cities with populations over 500,000. That gave them a clear idea of which cities have the most pedestrians, including travelers.
From there, they cross-referenced results with pedestrian fatality data from the Governors Highway Safety Association’s latest 2024 report, along with safety guidance from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
They weighed these results to determine which cities are the most dangerous and which cities are the safest when it comes to walkability. Here’s what we know.
Top 10 safest cities in the United States for pedestrians
Walkability is one of those factors that can separate good destinations from great ones. The more walkable, the better—especially if there’s a quaint, historic town center nearby.
If you want to enjoy a walkable city without looking over your shoulder every time a car passes, Kuru identified these US cities as the safest for pedestrians:
- Boston, Massachusetts
- New York, New York
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Milwaukee, Minnesota
- Chicago, Illinois
- Washington, DC
- San Francisco, California
- Seattle, Washington
- Los Angeles, California
Top 10 most dangerous cities in the United States for pedestrians
Just because a city has walkable neighborhoods, that doesn’t mean you’ll actually enjoy an afternoon jaunt or a passegiatta. Keep your wits about you when you visit these walkable cities that can be dangerous for pedestrians—and be extra mindful if you’re driving, instead. You don’t want to contribute to the problem.
Here are the results :
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Mesa, Arizona
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Tucson, Arizona
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Fort Worth, Texas
- Memphis, Tennessee
If you want to dig into the study results, Kuru has a comprehensive breakdown
