How Safe Are U.S. Cities for Pedestrians? Check Our 2024 Rankings
Navigating city streets on foot? Then you know how important pedestrian safety is—especially in larger cities. Crosswalks, signals, and designated paths all help ensure walkers are seen and safe.
Walking safety becomes increasingly crucial with heightened pedestrian activity during sunny summer strolls and into fall’s colorful outings.
At KURU Footwear, we care about walkers because we care about your feet! While you’re walking with less pain, we want you to stay safe, too.
That’s why we’ve compiled a ranking of 36 major U.S. cities—from the safest to the most dangerous for pedestrians. We used the city’s number of fatal pedestrian accidents and overall Walk Score from the most updated available data. Here’s what we found.
The Safest U.S. Cities for Pedestrians in 2024
The top 10 pedestrian-friendly cities earned their spots through fewer pedestrian deaths and higher walking scores.
Many of these cities have also implemented various measures to enhance pedestrian safety, such as traffic-calming measures, pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, improved crosswalks, and education campaigns.
However, it’s important to remember that pedestrian safety can vary within different neighborhoods and areas of these cities. It’s always advisable to exercise caution and follow local traffic regulations when walking in any urban environment.
| City | Rank | Number of Pedestrian Deaths per 100,000 People | Walk Score | Total Safety Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 1 | 1.32 | 88 | 93 |
| Washington, DC | 2 | 2.38 | 98 | 90 |
| Boston | 3 | 1.69 | 83 | 87 |
| San Francisco | 4 | 2.35 | 89 | 84 |
| Chicago | 5 | 2.03 | 77 | 79 |
| Seattle | 6 | 2.54 | 74 | 73 |
| Louisville | 7 | 4.96 | 96 | 66 |
| Philadelphia | 8 | 3.83 | 75 | 63 |
| Denver | 9 | 2.80 | 61 | 60 |
| Baltimore | 10 | 3.16 | 64 | 60 |
Given the Big Apple’s reputation for speeding yellow taxis, roaring intersections, and being a city that never sleeps, New York City may not have been everyone’s #1 guess for being pedestrian safe—yet it takes our #1 spot again this year.
With a pedestrian death rate of only 1.32 per 100,000 people, New York leads our list in safety, complemented by a high walking score of 88 out of 100.
Since last year, Washington, D.C. made a significant leap in pedestrian safety rankings—rising from #4 to #2 in safe walkable cities in US. In contrast, Boston slipped from the #2 spot to #3, while San Francisco experienced a slight decline as it shifted from #3 to #4. Chicago and Seattle maintained their positions at #6 and #7.
Once ranked in the bottom 10, Louisville has made a strong entrance into the top 10, driven by fewer pedestrian deaths and a notable boost in its high Walk Score. Baltimore also joined the top 10 safest walkable cities for the first time this year.
The Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Pedestrians in 2024
Next, we’ll look at the top 10 most dangerous cities for pedestrians. These cities had the highest number of pedestrian deaths and lowest walking scores.
| City | Number of Pedestrian Deaths per 100,000 People | Walk Score | Total Safety Score | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis | 4.20 | 31 | 29 | 10 |
| Fresno | 5.50 | 47 | 28 | 9 |
| Detroit | 5.80 | 51 | 28 | 8 |
| Dallas | 5.54 | 46 | 26 | 7 |
| Jacksonville | 4.32 | 26 | 23 | 6 |
| Sacramento | 6.44 | 49 | 21 | 5 |
| Albuquerque | 6.60 | 43 | 16 | 4 |
| Tucson | 9.88 | 43 | 14 | 3 |
| Phoenix | 7.12 | 41 | 13 | 2 |
| Memphis | 13.36 | 35 | 7 | 1 |
Memphis continues to hold the top spot as the most dangerous U.S. city for walkers, with an alarming rate of 13.36 deaths per 100,000 people—over ten times higher than New York City.
Phoenix and Tucson also report high pedestrian death rates, with Phoenix making its debut in the rankings due to its alarmingly high rate. Dallas, a new addition to the list, has a significant death rate of 5.54 per 100,000 residents.
Nashville, although not among the top 10, reports a significant rate of 6.29 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people.
These cities may have some work to do to ensure their pedestrians stay safe while walking on foot. Addressing these issues identified in pedestrian safety is essential to create a more secure environment for residents and visitors alike.
Complete Rankings: The Safest and Most Dangerous U.S. Metros for Pedestrians
Now let’s take a look at the complete rankings of all 36 major U.S. metros that have had more than 500,000 people since 2022. Where does your nearest city rank?
| City | # of Ped Deaths Per 100k | Walk Score | Total Safety Score | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 1.32 | 88 | 93 | 1 |
| Washington, DC | 2.38 | 98 | 90 | 2 |
| Boston | 1.69 | 83 | 87 | 3 |
| San Francisco | 2.35 | 89 | 84 | 4 |
| Chicago | 2.03 | 77 | 79 | 5 |
| Seattle | 2.54 | 74 | 73 | 6 |
| Louisville | 4.96 | 96 | 66 | 7 |
| Philadelphia | 3.83 | 75 | 63 | 8 |
| Denver | 2.80 | 61 | 60 | 9 |
| Baltimore | 3.16 | 64 | 60 | 10 |
| Las Vegas | 1.98 | 42 | 56 | 11 |
| Los Angeles | 4.00 | 69 | 56 | 12 |
| Nashville | 6.29 | 98 | 56 | 13 |
| San Jose | 2.68 | 51 | 55 | 14 |
| Portland | 4.25 | 67 | 53 | 15 |
| Milwaukee | 4.26 | 62 | 49 | 16 |
| Columbus | 2.86 | 41 | 46 | 17 |
| San Diego | 3.91 | 53 | 45 | 18 |
| Forth Worth | 3.24 | 35 | 39 | 19 |
| El Paso | 3.69 | 40 | 39 | 20 |
| Charlotte | 2.67 | 26 | 38 | 21 |
| Mesa | 3.90 | 38 | 36 | 22 |
| Houston | 4.82 | 47 | 34 | 23 |
| Oklahoma City | 4.03 | 34 | 32 | 24 |
| Austin | 4.82 | 42 | 31 | 25 |
| San Antonio | 4.48 | 37 | 30 | 26 |
| Indianapolis | 4.20 | 31 | 29 | 10 |
| Fresno | 5.50 | 47 | 28 | 9 |
| Detroit | 5.80 | 51 | 28 | 8 |
| Dallas | 5.54 | 46 | 26 | 7 |
| Jacksonville | 4.32 | 26 | 23 | 6 |
| Sacramento | 6.44 | 49 | 21 | 5 |
| Albuquerque | 6.60 | 43 | 16 | 4 |
| Tucson | 9.88 | 43 | 14 | 3 |
| Phoenix | 7.12 | 41 | 13 | 2 |
| Memphis | 13.36 | 35 | 7 | 1 |
Tips to Stay Safe This Year
As you travel this summer and fall, be sure to practice safe walking and driving habits to help keep yourself and others safe!
Here are a few tips to maximize driving safety and pedestrian safety, pulled directly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Driving Safety Tips:
- Be on the lookout for pedestrians everywhere, at all times.
- If a crosswalk or intersection is not available, locate a well-lit area where you have the best view of traffic. Wait for a gap in traffic that allows enough time to cross safely; continue watching for traffic as you cross.
- Yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and stop well back from the crosswalk to give other vehicles an opportunity to see the crossing pedestrians so they can stop too.
Pedestrian Safety Tips:
- Walk on sidewalks whenever they are available.
- Slow down and be prepared to stop when turning or otherwise entering a crosswalk.
- Watch for cars entering or exiting driveways, or backing up in parking lots.
- Whatever your plans, remember to pack your best walking shoes! Need a more supportive pair? At KURU, we specialize in creating highly supportive, heel-hugging footwear that helps relieve foot pain, so you can live a life you love.
Methodology and Sources
To determine our ranking of the safest and most dangerous major metro U.S. cities for pedestrians, we started by finding a list of the cities with a population over 500,000 since the year 2022.
We then used Walk Score and the most up-to-date auto-pedestrian fatality rates from the Traffic Safety Facts 2022 Data report from the U.S. Department of Transportation - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
We assigned each city a score based on these numbers between 0 and 50, and added them together to create a final safety score out of 100. Pedestrian and driving safety tips came from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
About Us
At KURU, we’re on a mission to help you Heel Better™ with footwear technology designed to relieve foot pain, so you can live a life you love. Since launching our innovative technology in 2008, we’ve received more than 37,000 five-star reviews from thousands of customers who tell us their KURU shoes helped them with conditions and got them back to doing what they love.
For all media inquiries, please contact us at pr@kurufootwear.com.