School Commutes Are a Breeze in These 15 U.S. Cities

School is hard enough, and a long and challenging bus ride can set a sour tone for the day ahead. Luckily, some cities make travel easier for kids. A report from Soliant Health shows which places have the smoothest school commutes in the country.

The Best Cities for School Commutes
How Do Longer Commutes Affect Students?

The healthcare staffing agency conducted an analysis in 2024 to compile the list below. Researchers examined six weighted factors: proximity to school, commute time, school transportation systems, attendance, walkability, and bike-ability. Here’s what they found.

The Best Cities for School Commutes

People crossing the street near Times Square, Manhattan, New York City, USA — New York‘s walkability placed the city high on the list. | Alexander Spatari/GettyImages

According to Soliant Health, several northeastern metros showed the best results. New York City ranks first, primarily due to its high scores for walkability and bike-ability. The city’s school transportation funding numbers are also impressive compared to others.

San Francisco is the runner-up, boasting a large number of students living near public schools and a high walkability score. Philadelphia finishes third thanks to the percentage of students (the third-highest in the nation) within close proximity to schools.

Here are the rest of the top cities with fair school commutes:

City, State	Total Commute Score (with 100 being the most ideal)
New York, New York	62.95
San Francisco, California	60.89
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	59.73
Washington, D.C.	57.93
Boston, Massachussets	56.84
Rochester, New York	55.45
Minneapolis, Minnesota	55.29
Buffalo, New York	54.99
Milwaukee, Wisconsin	54.04
San Jose, California	53.94
Syracuse, New York	53.58
Albuquerque, New Mexico	53.07
New Orleans, Louisiana	53.01
Toledo, Ohio	52.99
Cleveland, Ohio	51.09

You can find the complete list of the top 100 cities for the best school commutes on Soliant Health’s website.

How Do Longer Commutes Affect Students?

Worried student sitting with head in hands at desk — Those long trips take a toll. | Klaus Vedfelt/GettyImages

Several studies indicate that longer commute times hurt students. Researchers from Polytechnic State University, Rutgers University, and UCLA looked at survey responses from 2700 high school students and found that for every extra minute a student spends commuting to school, they’ll sleep about 1.3 minutes less. So if student A’s commute is 25 minutes longer than student B’s, student A will likely get nearly 33 minutes less sleep on average.

Another study, conducted by experts from the University of Queensland and Shanghai University and published in 2023, surveyed almost 7500 teenagers in China. The researchers found that longer commutes were associated with lower self-reported scores in both mental and physical health. Additionally, extended travel decreased students’ academic performance and cognitive abilities.

We’ve compared school commutes in various U.S. cities, but what about trips to work? See how daily work travel stacks up across the country.

The Best Cities for School Commutes

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How Do Longer Commutes Affect Students?