Website Ranks Catonsville as a 'Car-Dependent' Community

For many who live in Catonsville, the walkability of the community is a huge plus. But that can depend on what area of Catonsville you live in and how far you need to travel to get to a grocery store or other businesses.

According to one website, Walkscore.com, Catonsville's walkability ranking is a 46, which is higher than Maryland's average of 42. The site ranked the 78 largest communities in Maryland.

The score of 46 puts Catonsville in the "car-dependent" category. A score of 50 would mean the community is somewhat walkable, and a 70 would be very walkable. A score of 90 is a walker's paradise, according to the site.

Some addresses in Catonsville generate higher scores in the 70-80 range, including those closer to Frederick Road. But some far-flung addresses yield a score below 40.

The site uses an algorithm that gives points to addresses in the community based on how many amenities are nearby. It mines public data from sites like Google or Open Street Map.

According to Walkscore, the most walkable places in Maryland are Takoma Park, Baltimore and Silver Spring. The least walkable are Eldersburg and Clinton.

Want to see how your actual address ranks according to the site's methods? Plug it in here.