Where in the U.S. Can You Walk to the Grocery Store?

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Many people across the U.S., including Latino families, live in food deserts, low-income areas where the nearest grocery store is more than a mile away. This can limit what families in these areas eat, especially when low-cost, unhealthy fast food is closer to home than the supermarket.

The data-collecting website Walk Score helps people make more informed decisions about where to live, like finding an apartment within walking distance of everyday errands and close to public transportation. Recently, they’ve announced a new ranking of the best and worst U.S. cities for access to food based on their database of local places and their Travel Time API and ChoiceMaps technology. The question: What percent of a city’s residents can walk to a grocery store from their home in 5 minutes?

New York City is ranked first; 72% of residents can walk to a grocery store in 5 minutes or less.

Indianapolis was ranked the last (5%).

Check out where your city ranks!

Read what reporters at Grist had to say about the food desert mapping.

Check out Grist’s quick and easy list.