Homes with High Walk-ability Worth More

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Homes located within walking distance of amenities such as schools, parks and shopping aren’t only more convenient for their owners, often they’re also worth more than homes in neighborhoods where driving is the rule, according to a study released last month. The report, “Walking the Walk: How Walkability Raises Housing Values in U.S. Cities,” was commissioned by CEOs for Cities, a national network of urban leaders from the civic, business, academic and philanthropic sectors.

Higher Home Value

The report looked at 94,000 real estate transactions in 15 markets. In 13 of those markets, higher levels of “walkability” were directly linked to higher home values. It’s an important point for homebuyers who are trying to identify which homes will hold their value, said Joseph Cortright, the report’s author and a senior policy adviser to CEOs for Cities. Cortright is an economist and president of Impresa, a Portland, Ore.-based consulting firm. Walkable places have some of the best chances of performing well in years ahead, he said.

Restaurants, Parks, Coffee Shops and Libraries

The analysis used transaction information from ZipRealty. It calculated walkability of the homes using the Walk Score algorithm, which grades addresses based on amenities that are nearby, from restaurants and coffee shops to parks and libraries. Scores range from 0 to 100, with 100 being the most walkable; a score higher than 70 indicates it's possible to get around in the area without using a car.

$500 to $34,000

Controlling for other factors including a home's size, the number of bathrooms and bedrooms, age, neighborhood income levels, distance from the Central Business District and access to jobs, the study found that a one-point increase in Walk Score is linked to an increase in home value between $500 and $3,000, depending on the market, according to the study. The premium for homes in neighborhoods with above-average Walk Scores ranged from $4,000 to $34,000, according to the report.

Urban Density Factor

Even in areas where walkability does statistically matter, the premium it affords isn't the same from place to place. Dense urban areas such as Chicago and San Francisco showed higher price gains based on higher Walk Scores. This

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Comments

Jessica - Wednesday, September 30, 2009 @ 7:52 AM
This will be even more true when the price of gas jumps to seven dollars a gallon!