This is the question posed on CityNerd video titled “Walkable Cities But They Keep Getting More Affordable”
If you ditched your car, could you afford to leave the suburbs for a great urban neighborhood?
Ray Delahanty answers the question in the 26 biggest US cities.
The analysis assumes the all-in cost of owning and operating a car is $1,000 per month, including purchase, insurance, fuel, and maintenance.
In the city, transportation costs might total about $250 per month for transit passes, biking, ride-hailing, and other small expenses.
This results in an effective $750 per month increase in the housing budget for city center residents who do not own a car.
The results of the video are quite interesting, as you can get more m² in walkable areas in most cities


Yeah you can’t choose your neighbors. I need an acre to live comfortably, apartments are for kids (imo). My own garage, garden, apple tree, chickens. I’m sure a lot of people from cities would be hugely envious of that. I just dont get the sardine life of cities. Unless you like going to bars every night, no thanks. Not to mention all the homeless drug addicts (which is super sad, but also scary to be near with a family).