Washington, D.C. Ranks Amongst Top 10 Safest Cities In The Country For Pedestrians According To Study

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A study performed by Kuru Footwear measured the overall pedestrian safety of 36 major cities across the country in 2025 to determine which cities were the safest and which the most dangerous for pedestrians.

So, while there have been some rather public concerns about safety around the District, Washingtonians can at least reassure themselves that D.C. is in fact one of the safest cities in the nation for pedestrians.

Where did Washington, D.C. rank among the safest cities for pedestrians in the country?

According to the rankings, the District ranks the #9 safest city in the country for pedestrians!

D.C. managed to have a total safety score of 72 out of 100, a reflection of the District’s ‘Walk Score’ of 98, and its average of 2.95 pedestrian deaths per 100K.

The following cities made up the ranking’s top 10:

1. New York City
2. Boston
3. Philadelphia
4. Chicago
5. Nashville
6. Louisville
7. Seattle
8. Milwaukee
9. Washington, D.C.
10. San Francisco

What U.S. cities are considered the most dangerous for pedestrians?

According to the study, the cities that showed the worst or most unsafe conditions for pedestrians were as follows:

1. Albuquerque
2. Jacksonville
3. Las Vegas
4. Mega
5. Phoenix
6. Tucson
7. San Antonio
8. Forth Worth
9. Memphis
10. Charlotte

What was the methodology of the study?

The study used two core metrics to determine its ranking for pedestrian safety amongst American cities:

• Number of Pedestrian Deaths per 100,000 People

This information was pulled from pedestrian fatality data compiled by the Governors Highway Safety Association, which measured the frequency of fatal pedestrian deaths around the country.

• Walk Score

While a little more abstract in comparison to pedestrian fatality data, the ‘Walk Score’ metric was used to measure a city’s ‘walkability’. This score would be a reflection of the ease of access to amenities, population density, street design, and other pedestrian-friendly features in any given city as well.

Overall score calculation

Overall, each of the metrics mentioned above was scored on a 50-point scale, which, when added together, revealed a score out of 100, which the study referred to as the ‘Total Safety Score’