What does this walkability index ranking show?

It orders states by Walkability context index. It is a comparison of this one published measure, not an overall ranking of where to live.

Where do these figures come from?

U.S. EPA Smart Location Database v3.0 supplies this measure. States without a comparable published value are shown as not ranked rather than estimated.

How should I use this ranking?

Use it to narrow a search, then open a state or county profile for the underlying figures, source dates and caveats. A statewide number may not describe every neighbourhood.

Lowest walkability index by state

Walkability context index.

This measure has no better end. The order describes the states, it does not rank them — see the other direction.

MoverMath’s transparent 0–100 relative index, not Walk Score or EPA’s own National Walkability Index. It gives 55% weight to EPA pedestrian-oriented intersection density, 30% to activity density, and 15% to employment land-use mix; each component is ranked across counties before combining. It describes broad built-environment context, not sidewalk condition, crossings, hills, crime, accessibility, transit reliability, air quality, a walking route, or what is reachable from a particular home. The underlying EPA block-group data are from 2021 and state figures are population-weighted county values.

How to read this ranking

Mississippi has the lowest published walkability index in this comparison, at 30.7. The next states shown are Alabama (33.9) and Vermont (34.3).

The table orders 50 states by walkability context index. It describes one published measure, not an overall judgment about where to live.

Use the result as a starting point, then compare the underlying source, dates, and local county figures before making a decision. MoverMath’s transparent 0–100 relative index, not Walk Score or EPA’s own National Walkability Index. It gives 55% weight to EPA pedestrian-oriented intersection density, 30% to activity density, and 15% to employment land-use mix; each component is ranked across counties before combining. It describes broad built-environment context, not sidewalk condition, crossings, hills, crime, accessibility, transit reliability, air quality, a walking route, or what is reachable from a particular home. The underlying EPA block-group data are from 2021 and state figures are population-weighted county values.

1Mississippi30.7
2Alabama33.9
3Vermont34.3
4West Virginia35.7
5Arkansas35.8
6Kentucky36.0
7Maine36.6
8Tennessee36.9
9South Carolina37.4
10South Dakota37.5
11Georgia37.9
12North Carolina38.1
13Alaska38.2
14Louisiana39.7
15Iowa41.1
16New Hampshire41.3
17Virginia41.8
18Oklahoma42.1
19Missouri42.3
20North Dakota42.3
21Wyoming42.4
22Wisconsin42.9
23Michigan43.1
24Montana43.3
25Idaho43.5
26Indiana43.8
27Minnesota43.8
28Ohio44.0
29Delaware44.3
30New Mexico44.4
31Kansas45.0
32Nebraska45.4
33Texas46.6
34Florida48.2
35Maryland48.2
36Illinois48.5
37Arizona48.9
38Hawaii49.0
39Pennsylvania49.0
40Utah49.6
41Washington49.6
42Colorado50.0
43New York50.0
44Oregon50.2
45Nevada51.0
46Massachusetts51.4
47New Jersey51.6
48California52.5
49Rhode Island52.5
50District of Columbia53.4

Not ranked, because this measure is not published for them: Connecticut.

Related place rankings

Frequently asked questions

What does this ranking show?: It orders states by Walkability context index. It is one measure, not an overall verdict on where to live.
Where do the figures come from?: U.S. EPA Smart Location Database v3.0. States without a comparable published figure are listed as not ranked rather than estimated.
How should I use it?: Use it to narrow your search, then open a state or county profile for the source date, caveats and local context.

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Free to use. The chart names its source and links back, so it stays honest wherever it ends up.

<iframe src="https://movermath.com/embed/walkability-index" width="100%" height="420" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Walkability context index by state"></iframe>

Source: U.S. EPA Smart Location Database v3.0. · How this is built

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