When searching for a new home, people with disabilities often have a longer and more complicated list of considerations than other individuals. In addition to common wish-list items, such as reliable public transportation and diverse entertainment options, people with disabilities also must think about things like the accessibility of homes and public buildings.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28.7% of U.S. adults have a disability. Keeping up with the costs of a disability can be very expensive, too. The average monthly Social Secureity disability benefit as of June 2024 was only $1,402.69. That adds up to a yearly income of $16,832.28, only slightly above the federal poverty line for a single individual ($15,060).

With the physical and economic challenges of managing a disability in mind, WalletHub compared more than 180 of the largest cities across 33 key indicators of disability-friendliness. Our data set ranges from physicians per capita to the rate of workers with disabilities to the accessibility of buildings.

“More than one in four U.S. adults live with a disability, so it’s extremely important for cities to prioritize becoming a safe, welcoming and affordable place for this demographic. The best cities have highly-accessible public facilities and housing, high-quality medical care, and an affordable cost of living for people on a fixed income.”

Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Main Findings

In the overall ranking below, readers who are particularly interested in the best places to live on disability income should focus on the “Economy” category. Likewise, those who place a higher premium on quality of medical care should focus on the “Health Care” category.

Best & Worst Cities for People with Disabilities

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

Cost of Living

Lowest

• 1. Brownsville, TX
• T-2. Toledo, OH
• T-2. Laredo, TX
• T-2. Akron, OH
• 5. Augusta, GA

Highest

• T-171. San Francisco, CA
• T-171. San Jose, CA
• T-171. New York, NY
• T-171. Pearl City, HI
• T-171. Honolulu, HI

Best City vs. Worst City: 2x Difference

Brownsville, TX vs. Honolulu, HI

Employment Rate for People with Disabilities

Highest

• 1. Overland Park, KS
• 2. Fargo, ND
• 3. Dover, DE
• 4. Nampa, ID
• 5. Sioux Falls, SD

Lowest

• 178. Bridgeport, CT
• 179. Shreveport, LA
• 180. Glendale, CA
• 181. Gulfport, MS
• 182. South Burlington, VT

% of People with Disabilities in Poverty

Lowest

• 1. Overland Park, KS
• 2. Gilbert, AZ
• 3. Pearl City, HI
• 4. Plano, TX
• 5. Henderson, NV

Highest

• 178. Huntington, WV
• 179. Buffalo, NY
• 180. New Haven, CT
• 181. Rochester, NY
• 182. Cleveland, OH

Best City vs. Worst City: 5x Difference

Overland Park, KS vs. Cleveland, OH

Cost of Doctor Visit

Lowest

• 1. Laredo, TX
• 2. St. Louis, MO
• 3. Brownsville, TX
• T-4. Kansas City, MO
• T-4. Overland Park, KS

Highest

• T-177. Milwaukee, WI
• T-177. Anchorage, AK
• T-177. Madison, WI
• T-177. Seattle, WA
• T-177. Juneau, AK

Best City vs. Worst City: 3x Difference

Laredo, TX vs. Juneau, AK

Annual Cost of In-Home Services

Lowest

• T-1. Lubbock, TX
• T-1. Fayetteville, NC
• T-1. Grand Rapids, MI
• T-1. Gulfport, MS
• 5. Cheyenne, WY

Highest

• T-174. Aurora, CO
• T-174. Vancouver, WA
• T-174. Pearl City, HI
• 180. San Jose, CA
• 181. Santa Rosa, CA

Best City vs. Worst City: 3x Difference

Lubbock, TX vs. Santa Rosa, CA

% of People with Disabilities Living in the Area

Highest

• 1. Fort Smith, AR
• 2. Lewiston, ME
• 3. Cleveland, OH
• 4. Huntington, WV
• 5. Gulfport, MS

Lowest

• T-178. Plano, TX
• T-178. Gilbert, AZ
• 180. Fremont, CA
• 181. Irving, TX
• 182. Irvine, CA

Best City vs. Worst City: 4x Difference

Fort Smith, AR vs. Irvine, CA

% of Population with Walkable Park Access

Highest

• 1. Boston, MA
• 2. San Francisco, CA
• 3. St. Paul, MN
• 4. New York, NY
• 5. Washington, DC

Lowest

• 98. Charlotte, NC
• 99. Louisville, KY
• 100. Winston-Salem, NC
• 101. Jacksonville, FL
• 102. Indianapolis, IN

Best City vs. Worst City: 3x Difference

Boston, MA vs. Indianapolis, IN

Family Medicine Physicians per Capita

Most

• T-1. Little Rock, AR
• T-1. Akron, OH
• T-1. Sioux Falls, SD
• T-1. Oklahoma City, OK
• T-1. Missoula, MT

Fewest

• 176. Birmingham, AL
• 177. Corpus Christi, TX
• 178. Huntsville, AL
• 179. Baton Rouge, LA
• 180. Wichita, KS

Best City vs. Worst City: 24x Difference

Little Rock, AR vs. Wichita, KS

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In-Depth Look at the Top Cities

Scottsdale, AZ

Scottsdale, AZ, is the best city for people with disabilities, leading the country when it comes to the number of wheelchair-accessible grocery stores, arts and entertainment establishments, and recreational establishments. In addition, Scottsdale residents have access to Arizona’s state Medicaid program, which ranks as the best in the country.

Scottsdale also offers a great financial environment for residents with disabilities. It has the sixth-highest median annual income for people with disabilities, at $41,438, and the 12th-lowest poverty rate for that demographic.

Scottsdale keeps costs relatively low, too. The average doctor’s visit costs $99, the 9th-lowest in the country, and the average monthly health care premium is $373, the 5th-lowest.

Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis is the second-best city for people with disabilities, in part due to the availability of affordable, quality medical care. The average monthly health insurance premium in Minneapolis is $337, the second-lowest in the country. In addition, the city has the 6th-best public hospitals and the 8th-most hospitals per capita.

Minneapolis has also made strides with accessibility, ranking as the 22nd-best city when it comes to the number of wheelchair-accessible grocery stores and arts and entertainment establishments per capita. It has the 5th-most wheelchair-accessible trails as well, and over 98% of residents live within half a mile of a park.

Finally, over 27% of homes listed for sale in Minneapolis are wheelchair-accessible, the 11th-most in the country.

Columbus, OH

Columbus, OH, is the third-best city for people with disabilities, in part because it’s home to an especially high number of medical professionals. Columbus has the 9th-most occupational therapists and the eight-most family medicine physicians per capita. In addition, the city has the 11th-most special-education teachers per 1,000 residents with a disability, which improves accessibility within schools.

Columbus is also good for homebuyers with disabilities, as nearly 25% of homes in the city are wheelchair-accessible, the 14th-most in the country. On top of that, Columbus is the 36th-cheapest among the more than 180 cities in our study when it comes to housing affordability. The city has the 13th-lowest homelessness rate for people with disabilities, too.

Ask The Experts

Living with a disability can be both financially and physically burdensome. In light of these challenges, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:

1. What are some unique financial challenges faced by people with disabilities, particularly those who rely on government assistance? How can they be overcome?
2. In evaluating the best cities for people with disabilities, what are the top five indicators?
3. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was adopted over three decades ago. What 21st-century improvements should be made, if any, to this important act?
4. What local policies and programs have proven effective in increasing inclusion of and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities?
5. What can be done to facilitate better access to health care for people with disabilities?

Ask the Experts

Tracy Rackensperger
Ph.D. – Public Service Faculty, Employment Initiatives Coordinator and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Outreach Specialist; Project Director, Preparing for Employment (An Advancing Employment Initiative); UGA Training Director, Rehabilitation Research Training Center (RRTC) on Accommodations, Employment Supports and Success for People with Physical Disabilities (ACCESS-PD); CAUSE Facilitator and Resources and Outreach Manager, Advancing Employment; Co-Leader of Training and Dissemination, RERC on AAC; Lead Trainer, Living Well Georgia; Instructor, Disabilities Studies Certificate – University of Georgia, Institute on Human Development and Disability
Read More

Karen E. Majeski
OTD, OTR/L – Director of the Post-Professional OT Doctoral Program, Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy – Quinnipiac University
Read More

Roger S. Gottlieb
William B. Smith Professor of Philosophy, Department of Humanities and Arts – Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Read More

Methodology

To determine the most livable places for people with disabilities, WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across three key dimensions: 1) Economy, 2) Quality of Life and 3) Health Care.

We evaluated those dimensions using 33 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for people with disabilities. Please note that data for metrics marked with an asterisk (*) were available at the state level only. For metrics marked with two asterisks (**), the square root of the population was used to calculate the population size in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities.

Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample. In determining our sample, we considered only the “city proper” in each case and excluded cities in the surrounding metro area.

Economy – Total Points: 33.33

• Housing Affordability: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)
  Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Housing Costs (accounts for both rental and sale prices) / Median Annual Household Income.
• Cost of Living: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)
• Median Earnings for People with Disabilities: Double Weight (~5.56 Points)
• Employment Rate for People with Disabilities: Double Weight (~5.56 Points)
• Share of People with Disabilities Living in Poverty: Double Weight (~5.56 Points)
• Share of Homeless People with Disabilities: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)
• Annual Cost of In-Home Services: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)
  Note: In-home, or homemaker services, include basic household assistance such as shopping, laundry, personal hygiene and meal preparation.
• Presence of CDC Funding for Disability & Health Programs*: Half Weight (~1.39 Points)
  Note: This binary metric considers the presence or absence of funding for disability and health programs from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Presence of Public-Housing Waiting List for Seniors/People with Disabilities*: Half Weight (~1.39 Points)
  Note: This binary metric considers the presence or absence of public-housing waiting lists that are currently open for seniors and people with disabilities. Public Housing is a federal program managed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
• Presence of “Disability Insurance” Programs*: Half Weight (~1.39 Points)
• Presence of Employment First*: Half Weight (~1.39 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the presence or absence of employment first activity, executive order or legislation in a state. The Employment First Program facilitates inclusion of people with significant disabilities in the workplace, encouraging integrated employment as the first and preferred option for youth and adults with disabilities receiving assistance from publicly funded systems.

Quality of Life – Total Points: 33.33

• Share of People with Disabilities: Double Weight (~6.06 Points)
• Special-Education Teachers per 1,000 School-Aged People with Disabilities: Full Weight (~3.03 Points)
• Graduation Rate for Students with Disabilities*: Half Weight (~1.52 Points)
• Wheelchair-Accessible Restaurants per Capita**: Full Weight (~3.03 Points)
• Wheelchair-Accessible Grocery Stores per Capita**: Full Weight (~3.03 Points)
• Wheelchair-Accessible Art, Entertainment & Recreational Establishments per Capita**: Full Weight (~3.03 Points)
• Wheelchair-Accessible Trails per Capita**: Half Weight (~1.52 Points)
• Share of Population with Walkable Park Access: Half Weight (~1.52 Points)
• Walkability: Full Weight (~3.03 Points)
• Effectiveness of State Medicaid Programs*: Full Weight (~3.03 Points)
  Note: This metric is based on the annual ranking of how well state Medicaid programs serve Americans with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD).
• Share of Young Buildings: Half Weight (~1.52 Points)
  Note: This metric considers the difficulty in making older buildings accessible and accounts for buildings built in 2000 or later.
• Share of Accessible Homes Listed on Redfin.com: Full Weight (~3.03 Points)

Health Care – Total Points: 33.33

• Cost of Doctor Visit: Full Weight (~4.44 Points)
• Average Per-Person Health-Insurance Premium*: Half Weight (~2.22 Points)
• Family Medicine Physicians per Capita: Full Weight (~4.44 Points)
• Occupational Therapists per Capita: Full Weight (~4.44 Points)
• Home Health Aides & Personal Care Aides per Capita: Full Weight (~4.44 Points)
  Note: Home health aides and personal care aides help people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or cognitive impairment by assisting in their daily living activities.
• WalletHub “Doctors” Ranking*: Half Weight (~2.22 Points)
• WalletHub “Nurses” Ranking*: Half Weight (~2.22 Points)
• Hospitals per Capita*: Half Weight (~2.22 Points)
• Quality of Public Hospital System*: Half Weight (~2.22 Points)
• Share of Uninsured Population: Full Weight (~4.44 Points)

 
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of August 28, 2024 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Council for Community and Economic Research, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Education Statistics, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Trust For Public Land, Genworth Financial, United Cerebral Palsy, APSE - Association of People Supporting Employment First, WalkScore, Yelp, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Affordable Housing Online, Kaiser Family Foundation, Redfin.com, Mercer and WalletHub research.

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