2018’s Best & Worst Cities for People with Disabilities

From Wallet Hub, October 2, 2018

When searching for a new home, people with disabilities often have a longer and more complicated list of considerations compared with 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 facilities or even the cleanliness of the air.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four U.S. adults, or 61 million total, have a disability that impacts their major activities. And among Americans age 65 and older, that number rises to two in five. Keeping up with the costs of a disability can be very expensive. The average monthly Social Security disability benefit as of July 2018 was only $1,065.73. That makes a yearly income of $12,788.76, only a few hundred dollars above the federal poverty line for a single individual at $12,140.

Although disability benefits can increase based on inflation, many people with disabilities rely on low cost of living and wages for financial relief. In 2017, nearly 5.7 million people with disabilities were employed. Naturally, though, a far lower share of people with disabilities is able to work compared to the share of people with no major health issues.

With the physical and economic challenges of managing a disability in mind, WalletHub compared more than 180 most populated cities across 31 key indicators of disability-friendliness. Their data set ranges from physicians per capita to rate of workers with disabilities to park accessibility.

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