Anyone who has looked for a house in the past couple of years has probably noticed a new feature in many listings – the WalkScore, a measure of a home’s walkability to various amenities.
Wallingford homes have an average rating of 90, which make the neighborhood a “walker’s paradise.” According to WalkScore’s Seattle rankings, Wallingford falls at number 10, behind such obviously dense, amenity-rich neighborhoods as Belltown and the University District. Wallingford even ranks ahead of Capitol Hill, which scores only a “very walkable” 87.
“A lot of people are surprised that Wallingford ranks higher than Capitol Hill,” says WalkScore spokesperson Aleisha Jacobson. “Capitol Hill includes a lot of space near Broadmoor, and Montlake that aren’t very walkable.” By contrast, Wallingford has all of N. 45th Street as its central artery, plus smaller business enclaves (e.g., Tangletown, Stone Way, and N. 40th St.) that help boost its WalkScore.
These scores aren’t just fun facts. Jacobson cites a 2009 study that showed for each additional WalkScore point, a home’s value rises as much as $3000.
