New Perspectives: Most Affordable Boston Neighborhood

ZipRealty, Inc. has teamed up with Walk Score to rank the most affordable places to live in Boston without a car. To create the list, ZipRealty analyzed data provided by WalkScore.com and current median home sales prices to produce a carless/affordability ratio. The 10 highest-ranked communities have  a Walk Score, Bike Score and Transit Score of 60 or higher, which means they meet or exceed the following criteria: They are “very walkable,” have “good transit” and are “bikeable,” according to Walk Score. Most of the Boston communities reviewed in this study, however, have “excellent transit” options and are a “walker’s paradise.”

WalkScore.com assigns a number between 0 and 100 −with 100 being the highest −to rank the ease of walking, biking or using public transit from an address, whether it’s a single-family home or rental apartment. To calculate city- or neighborhood-level scores, WalkScore.com calculates the Walk Score of approximately every block across a city or neighborhood and then weights the Walk Score of each point by population density. Therefore, the walkability ranking reflects where people actually reside.

“Walk Score helps people find great neighborhoods to live that are close to the places and people they love and that offer easy access to public transit and shorter commutes,” says Walk Score CEO Josh Herst.

“Home shoppers are increasingly looking for places to live where they can be less dependent on their cars,” says Mr. Herst. “The average American spends over $9,000 per year on their car. This is the equivalent of a $135,000 mortgage and the second-largest expense for many households. Moreover, people who live in walkable neighborhoods report being happier and healthier and, on average, way six to 10 pounds less.”

Author: By Lanny Baker, CEO and President of ZipRealty, Inc.