These Are CA's Top Cities To Live Car-Free

CALIFORNIA — California has some of the best cities for walking, biking and commuting without a car, according to a new report.

A new ranking from Local Logic and Realtor.com revealed the top eco-friendly cities for car-free transit and cities in the Northeast and California's San Fransisco Bay Area ranked at the top of the list.

Hoboken, New Jersey, ranked first, followed by Cambridge, Massachusetts, in second and Brookline, Massachusetts, in third.

"Where we live shapes how we live — and in the case of these top eco-friendly cities, we see that an environment oriented to walking, biking and public transit means a greater share of residents can get to work without a car," said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com. "Those who want to live more sustainably by forgoing a commute by car, will find that places like Hoboken, N.J., and Cambridge, Mass., make it easier to do so because they prioritize walkability, transit and thoughtful design. Thriving home values in these markets likely reflect easy access to jobs, culture and a high quality of life."

Berkeley, California, ranked as the best city in California and the fourth city overall for commuting without a car. According to the report, 64.4% of residents don't drive to work. The city received a 7.4 cycling-friendliness score, 8.4 pedestrian-friendliness score, and 7.2 transit-friendliness score.

"Sustainability has long been part of Berkeley's identity — and that's reflected in how people get around," the report said. "A legacy of progressive urban policy, the city's strong cycling culture, walkable neighborhoods, and BART access make it easy to commute without a car, while initiatives like slow streets programs, bike boulevards, and transit-priority corridors further support active, low-impact transportation."

Other Golden State cities that landed on the list were San Francisco at No. 6, Emeryville at No. 11, and Culver City at No. 14.

To create the ranking, Local Logic analyzed U.S. Census data on car-free commuters, combining it with their proprietary location scores for walkability, bikeability and public transit access.

Read the full report here.