Hartford Named One of the Best Cities in America to Live Without a Car

According to a new study from Coworking Cafe, Hartford is one of the better cities in America for people who would rather not own a car. Hartford ranked 19th among 114 U.S. cities for living without a personal vehicle, which honestly sounds pretty appealing to me.

Get our free mobile app

The study looked at things like public transportation use, transit costs, walkability and how close residents are to everyday businesses and services.

Hartford scored well in several categories. More than 13% of Hartford residents use public transportation to get to work, which was the eighth-highest percentage in the entire study. Another 3.2% rely on things like taxis, rideshare services, motorcycles or other transportation options.

And if you're thinking, "Yeah, but public transportation probably costs a fortune," not necessarily. The average Hartford transit trip costs about $1.33. That's a lot cheaper than filling up a car every week.

Hartford also has a Walk Score of 67, meaning there are plenty of situations where you can actually get where you're going without firing up the car. The city also has more than three retail locations per square mile, putting stores and other necessities within relatively easy reach.

This isn't just a Hartford thing, either. Nine of the top 20 cities on the list are in the Northeast, where older, denser cities tend to have better transit systems and more walkable neighborhoods.

Personally, living in a truly walkable city where I didn't need a car is kind of a dream. There is nothing worse than a car to bring you down. Taxes, tires, brakes, oil changes, mileage, repairs, payments... Ugh. Disgusting. Imagine waking up and realizing you don't have to worry about any of that because you can just walk outside and get where you need to go. Sign me up.