Sonoma Tops Walkability Rankings, Sort Of

How walkable is your life?

A new list from Walk Score, a website that measures a city’s "walkability" using several different criteria, ranks cities throughout the country and state based on how easy are to walk around.

, over in the East Bay, with a score of 86 and San Francisco (85) top the list of cities in the state. California had an overall average of 50 (out of 100).

But, Sonoma was too small to make the ranking. Regardless, Sonoma ranks near the top in the area for walkability with a score of 94, earning it a 'Walker's Paradise' ranking. 

Other area cities vary. Petaluma clocked similarly high (93) while Napa (42) and Rohnert Park (68) earned 'somewhat walkable' scores. Only Healdsburg ranked higher with a 98 score, also in the Walker's Paradise category.

But, how walkable is Sonoma - really?

The measurements are based on the proximity to neighborhood services such as libraries, schools, grocery stores and parks. The closer these amenities are, the higher the score. 

Nor does the score take into account the quality of the sidewalks, streets and trails. 

Though downtown Sonoma ranks high, its walking score drops as soon as you get out of the city center: Boyes Hot Springs ranks a 78, while Glen Ellen gets a 'car dependent' 32.

So, how walkable is your house? Is it something we should be concerned about?

Go to Walk Score and type in your address to find out how walkable your house is and post the number in the comments, so we can get an idea of how walkable Sonoma is.