The Best Cities for School Commutes

With back-to-school season just around the corner, the Soliant School Commute Report spotlights how a school commute can impact student’s educational experience.

Access to education is paramount for the development and success of children, yet research found that students who commute to school for prolonged periods have higher stress levels (37.8%) compared to those with shorter commutes (24.1%) (Jamil et al., 2022). Ensuring that children can reach their schools safely and efficiently is not just a convenience – it’s crucial for fostering a positive learning environment and promoting educational equity.

The School Commute Report was commissioned to raise awareness of barriers to education, spotlighting the best and worst school commutes. The analysis is based on several criteria, including school transportation funding and quality, commute time, walkability, bikeability, and daily school attendance rates.

Dive into the data to learn which cities are leading the way in creating safe, efficient, and equitable travel routes for students below – and learn more about the significant impact that school transportation has on a child’s success.

The Full Breakdown

The research found that New York, NY; San Francisco, CA; and Philadelphia, PA are the best cities for commuting to school in the nation, while Lakeland, FL; Winston-Salem, NC; and Charleston, SC have the least favorable commutes for parents and students.

Rank	City	Total Score 100 possible points
1	New York, NY	62.95
2	San Francisco, CA	60.89
3	Philadelphia, PA	59.73
4	Washington, D.C.	57.93
5	Boston, MA	56.84
6	Rochester, NY	55.45
7	Minneapolis, MN	55.29
8	Buffalo, NY	54.99
9	Milwaukee, WI	54.04
10	San Jose, CA	53.94
11	Syracuse, NY	53.58
12	Albuquerque, NM	53.07
13	New Orleans, LA	53.01
14	Toledo, OH	52.99
15	Cleveland, OH	51.09
16	Springfield, MA	50.97
17	New Haven, CT	50.86
18	San Diego, CA	50.44
19	Dayton, OH	50.37
20	Hartford, CT	50.31
21	Salt Lake City, UT	49.86
22	Columbus, OH	49.80
23	Baltimore, MD	49.80
24	Los Angeles, CA	49.58
25	Albany, NY	49.55
26	Boise, ID	49.54
27	Sacramento, CA	49.49
28	Fresno, CA	49.03
29	St. Louis, MO	48.94
30	Portland, OR	47.82
31	Bakersfield, CA	46.52
32	Providence, RI	46.40
33	Omaha, NE	45.87
34	Harrisburg, PA	44.67
35	Bridgeport, CT	44.59
36	Cincinnati, OH	44.56
37	Madison, WI	44.54
38	Seattle, WA	44.43
39	Scranton, PA	44.32
40	Spokane, WA	44.15
41	Allentown, PA	43.19
42	Virginia Beach, VA	43.15
43	Detroit, MI	43.01
44	Grand Rapids, MI	42.86
45	Pittsburgh, PA	42.75
46	Richmond, VA	42.66
47	Miami, FL	42.20
48	Akron, OH	41.76
49	Provo, UT	41.52
50	Des Moines, IA	41.36
51	Memphis, TN	41.24
52	Denver, CO	41.00
53	Chicago, IL	40.84
54	Las Vegas, NV	40.64
55	Ogden, UT	40.47
56	Kansas City, MO	40.26
57	Tulsa, OK	40.24
58	Honolulu, HI	39.21
59	Wichita, KS	39.06
60	Louisville, KY	38.41
61	El Paso, TX	37.92
62	Baton Rouge, LA	37.55
63	Oklahoma City, OK	36.99
64	Jacksonville, FL	36.47
65	Knoxville, TN	35.98
66	Nashville, TN	35.92
67	Orlando, FL	35.92
68	Dallas, TX	35.70
69	Palm Bay, FL	35.56
70	Austin, TX	34.94
71	San Antonio, TX	34.86
72	Worcester, MA	34.56
73	McAllen, TX	34.13
74	Little Rock, AR	34.06
75	Colorado Springs, CO	33.82
76	Augusta, GA	33.40
77	Wilmington, NC	33.31
78	Indianapolis, IN	32.74
79	Birmingham, AL	32.52
80	Tampa, FL	32.48
81	Phoenix, AZ	32.38
82	Jackson, MS	32.16
83	Riverside, CA	32.14
84	Sarasota, FL	31.83
85	Poughkeepsie, NY	31.36
86	Tucson, AZ	31.30
87	Atlanta, GA	30.92
88	Stockton, CA	30.78
89	Daytona Beach, FL	30.01
90	Columbia, SC	29.89
91	Durham, NC	29.78
92	Charlotte, NC	29.72
93	Houston, TX	28.99
94	Greenville, SC	28.87
95	Greensboro, NC	27.65
96	Fort Myers, FL	27.51
97	Raleigh, NC	25.78
98	Charleston, SC	25.32
99	Winston-Salem, NC	25.00
100	Lakeland, FL	22.45

The Top 10 Cities for School Commutes

New York, NY, the city with the overall best access to education, has the highest percentage of children aged 5-17 who live within a half mile of a public school, at 99.7%. While the city landed 97^th place for time spent commuting via car or public transportation (30.7 minutes), New York’s high walkability and bikeability scores, as well as sufficient school transportation funding, ensures students have a variety of safe and effective options for getting to and from school. 

Following New York, San Francisco, CA, has the second-highest percentage of students living near public schools. While San Francisco ranked 89^th for time spent commuting via car or public transportation (28.9 minutes), it is also the most walkable city analyzed in the report, making it the second-best city for school commutes in the nation. Philadelphia, PA, offers students and parents the third-best school commute experience in the nation, and the city has the third-highest percentage of students living near public schools, at 91%. However, the city also ranked 81^st for time spent commuting (27.9 minutes).

Lakeland, FL, ranked last as the worst city in the U.S. for school commutes. The city struggles significantly with long commute times, ranking 94^th (30.5 minutes), indicating that many students face extended travel durations to and from school each day. The impact of these factors includes increased stress and fatigue for students, potential tardiness, and less time available for extracurricular activities and family interactions.

The Importance of Stress-Free School Commutes

Education is vital in shaping the growth of children, giving them knowledge, skills, and social experiences that are very important for their future success – and the commute to school is an essential component of education access.

Ensuring manageable and safe school commutes is important in removing obstacles to education and enabling all children to have a strong experience. When children feel safe and supported traveling to school, they will be inclined to engage positively within their learning environment and actively partake in the classroom.

If you share our passion for ensuring children receive a quality education, we encourage you to browse our school job listings here and take the first step towards making a difference in students’ lives today!  

Methodology  

The following categories, category weight, and data sources utilized in the best cities for school commutes index include:

• Proximity to School (20%) – The percentage of children aged 5-17 living within ½ mile of a public school. Retrieved from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Commute Time (20%) – The mean commute time to work (in minutes) for both car and public transit. Retrieved from the U.S. Census American Community Survey (ACS).
• School Transportation Systems (20%) – The state expenditure for public school student transportation per student. Retrieved from the U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics.
• Attendance (20%) – The average daily attendance rate for public schools in the state. Retrieved from the U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics.
• Walkability (10%) – The walkability score using selected variables on street intersection density, diversity of land uses, and proximity to transit. Retrieved from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• Bikeability (10%) – The bikeability score using selected variables on bike and street infrastructure, residential speed limits, and intersection characteristics. Retrieved from PeopleForBikes, a non-profit organization advocating for safer, more accessible bike policies and projects through research, education, and advocacy.

References

1. Jamil, Dawood & Rayyan, Mohammed & Hameed, Ahmed & Masood, Fatima & Javed, Palwasha & Sreejith, Anusha. (2022). The Impact of Commute on Students’ Performance. Journal of Medical and Health Studies. 3. 59-67. 10.32996/jmhs.2022.3.3.9.

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