D.C. is more than a political powerhouse—it’s a park lover’s dream! A new study found that D.C. ranked No. 1 for the best ParkScore in the United States.
The study, conducted by the nonprofit organization Trust for Public Land, ranked the 100 most populous cities in the U.S. in a comparison of five categories of a great park system: access, acreage, amenities, equity, and investment.
Each category has a top score of 100 points. D.C. ranked No. 1 with category scores of:
- Access: 99 points
- Acreage: 55 points
- Amenities: 85 points
- Equity: 86 points
- Investment: 100 points
According to the study, access is one of the best things about D.C. parks, with the District home to 683 parks of over 9,296 acres. That means that 99% of Washingtonians live within a short 10-minute walk of a local park! Meanwhile, on average, in the most populous U.S. cities only 74% of residents live within a 10-minute walk.
The parks in D.C. rank highly, as well! Splash pads, senior centers, and dog parks rank at 100 points, while bathrooms rank at 95 points, basketball hoops at 92 points, and playgrounds at 22 points.
For more information on the methodology, visit the Trust for Public Land website.