Your Home's Walkability

Photo credit 06.ShirlingtonVA.22July2015 by Elvert Barnes

A new contributing factor to your home's value and desirability of its location is a metric called walkability. Depending on individual needs and lifestyles, a good walk score can mean different things to different people.

Walking safety and comfort are key aspects impacting a good score.

This can be accomplished by rating any surrounding crime or traffic hazards.

Besides being safe, walkways and trails should be well maintained, easy to traverse and free from noise and air pollution. Good walkability includes enjoyment of the walk.

Having easy connections to local amenities and public transit will also enhance the walk score of a neighborhood. From millennials to baby boomers, most home buyers rate walking to stay healthy and to easily connect as one of their top concerns when searching for a home.

City planners, researchers and real estate professionals like ourselves find walkability a useful tool in development and marketing.