Walking for transportation was twice as common among adults with transportation insecurity (30.9%) than among adults without transportation insecurity (15.3%), suggesting that infrastructure and policies supporting walking may be especially important for those experiencing transportation insecurity.
Transportation insecurity affected 5.6% of US adults in 2022.
Transportation walking was twice as common among adults with transportation insecurity compared to those without.
Among adults with transportation insecurity, lower educational attainment was associated with higher prevalence of transportation walking.
Among adults with transportation insecurity, those below the poverty threshold were more likely to walk for transportation than those above it.
Among adults with transportation insecurity, non-Hispanic Black adults had higher prevalence of transportation walking than non-Hispanic White adults.
Among adults with transportation insecurity, younger adults were more likely to walk for transportation than older adults.
Among adults with transportation insecurity, those without disabilities had higher transportation walking prevalence than those with disabilities.
Among adults with transportation insecurity, those residing in the West had higher transportation walking prevalence than those residing in the South.
This research suggests that people who lack reliable transportation — a condition called transportation insecurity — are much more likely to walk to get to everyday destinations compared to people who have dependable transportation options. Using data from nearly 26,000 U.S. adults surveyed in 2022, researchers found that about 1 in 6 Americans walk for transportation overall, but among those experiencing transportation insecurity, nearly 1 in 3 do so. Transportation insecurity itself affected roughly 1 in 18 American adults. Within the group experiencing transportation insecurity, certain populations were especially likely to rely on walking to get around: people with lower education levels, those living below the poverty line, non-Hispanic Black adults, younger adults, and those without disabilities. People living in the Western United States were also more likely to walk for transportation than those in the South among this group. This research suggests that walking infrastructure — such as sidewalks, crosswalks, and pedestrian-friendly street design — and supportive policies may be particularly important for people who lack access to reliable transportation. Since these individuals disproportionately include people with lower incomes and other socioeconomic disadvantages, investments in walkable environments could be a meaningful public health strategy for communities where transportation options are limited.
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Upload Your LabsSoto G, Van Dyke M, Nakayama J, Chen T, Devlin H, Irani K, et al.. (2026). Transportation Walking Among US Adults With and Without Transportation Insecurity, 2022 National Health Interview Survey.. Preventing chronic disease. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd23.250436