Is SafeStreets any good, and is it free?
SafeStreets is a free walkability tool that scores any address in 190+ countries from ten public datasets, with no sign-up. You get a 0 to 10 score, a 12-metric breakdown, and plain answers to whether you can go car-free, walk kids to school, or age in place there.
The data behind every score
OpenStreetMap (streets, sidewalks, amenities), Sentinel-2 (tree canopy), EPA National Walkability Index, US Census ACS, CDC PLACES, FEMA NFHL, NASADEM, OpenAQ and Open-Meteo, Transitland GTFS, and NCES school geocodes. US addresses use all of them, international addresses use OpenStreetMap and Sentinel-2.
How the score is built
A 0 to 10 composite of four weighted parts: Daily Reach 40%, Street Safety 30%, Transit Reach 15%, Walking Comfort 15%.
Common questions
Is SafeStreets free?
Yes. Every neighborhood score, the 12-metric breakdown, the three PersonaCards, Compare mode and the Street Audit tool are free with no sign-up. There is no consumer subscription.
How accurate is the SafeStreets score?
Each score is built from ten public datasets, not opinion. US addresses get the full stack (EPA Walkability Index, Census ACS, CDC PLACES, FEMA flood layers, NCES schools) on top of OpenStreetMap and Sentinel-2. Addresses elsewhere use OpenStreetMap and Sentinel-2. The full method is published at /methodology and the research behind it is at /insights.
How is the walkability score calculated?
It is a 0 to 10 composite of four weighted parts: Daily Reach (40%), Street Safety (30%), Transit Reach (15%) and Walking Comfort (15%). Daily Reach measures 15-minute-walk access to seven service categories. The tiers run from Walkable down to Hostile.
How is SafeStreets different from Walk Score?
SafeStreets scores street safety, transit and walking comfort, not just how many destinations sit nearby. It works in 190+ countries, shows the public data source behind every number, and is free with no sign-up. It also answers lifestyle questions directly: can you go car-free here, is it safe for kids to walk, is it good for aging in place.
Does SafeStreets work outside the United States?
Yes, in 190+ countries. US addresses get the full data stack. International addresses are scored from OpenStreetMap and Sentinel-2 satellite data, so street network, amenities and tree canopy are all covered.
Who built SafeStreets and can I trust the data?
It is built by Streets & Commons. Every score lists the public dataset behind it, the scoring method is published, and the original research is posted with citations at /insights. Nothing about a score is hidden behind a paywall.
Score any address at SafeStreets, or read the open methodology.