Disability Friendly Cities Ranked
Category: Disability Law
- 16 Oct 2025
- Posted By WebSiteAdmin
Traveling is a stressful and physically demanding activity. It can be a serious challenge when disabled people travel. When towns or cities are not equipped to handle special needs, it adds to that stress.
61 million people in this country are living with a disability. They, like everyone else, have places to go and people to see. City ordinances requiring businesses and public spaces to have accommodations that assist disabled folks on their journey are essential.
Recently, a website called Atticus ranked the top disability-friendly cities in the United States. They also created lists of which cities are most expensive, and which are most affordable for people with disabilities.
The top 10 cities in the nation for disabled folks to travel are as follows:
- Pittsburg, Pa.
- Overland Park, Kansas
- Denver, Colorado
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Huntington Beach, California
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Scottsdale, Arizona
- Columbia, Maryland
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
As far as cost of living goes it should be no surprise that New York City and San Francisco are least affordable for disabled people, as they are the most expensive places to live in general.
It’s disappointing that no Florida cities made this list. After all, tourism accounts for about 10% of the state’s economy. Tourism contributed an estimated $127.7 billion to Florida’s economy in 2023 and supports a significant portion of jobs in the state. We are ranked #2 overall for state’s whose economies benefit from tourism.
Most affordable:
Texas and Arizona have some of the most affordable cities in the country.
- Brownsville (Texas)
- Laredo (Texas)
- Amarillo (Texas)
- Jackson (Mississippi)
- Fort Smith (Arizona)
Best employment rate
These are the top five U.S. cities with the highest employment rate for people living with disabilities.
- Overland Park (Kansas)
- Fargo (North Dakota)
- Plano (Texas)
- Virginia Beach (Virginia)
- Little Rock (Arkansas)
Worst employment rate
Locations that were severely lacking include:
- Cleveland (Ohio)
- Detroit (Michigan)
- Connecticut
- Vermont
These factors are something to consider if you are planning to travel for the holidays or next summer. Ease of commuting, accessing services and affordability rank at the top of the list for people with disabilities in regard to travel.
