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Study ranks the best and worst US cities for people with disabilities

By
FOX Local
U.S.
Published September 23, 2026 5:49 PM CDT
Published September 23, 2026 5:49 PM CDT
article

FILE - St. Louis, Missouri and Mississippi RiverSt. Louis, Missouri and Mississippi River. (Photo by: Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The Brief

    • WalletHub ranked more than 180 U.S. cities for disability accommodations.
    • St. Louis ranked as the best city, followed by Minneapolis and Columbus.
    • Lower-ranked cities often have higher costs and fewer accessible services.

People with disabilities usually face more challenges when it comes to finding the ideal place to live.

Compared to others, a person with a disability needs to consider infrastructure, healthcare access, economic conditions and overall quality of life. 

A recent analysis by WalletHub evaluated more than 180 of the largest U.S. cities to identify the most and least accommodating places for individuals with disabilities. 

Top 20 cities for people with disabilities

St. Louis tops the list

Dig deeper:

According to the study, St. Louis, Missouri, ranks as the overall best U.S. city for people with disabilities, followed closely by Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Columbus, Ohio.

These top-performing cities earn high marks by combining accessible public infrastructure with reliable medical care and relatively affordable living costs for residents on fixed budgets.

Over 28% of American adults with a disability are living on a fixed income, according to WalletHub.

Here are the top 20 cities for people with a disability: 

  1. St. Louis, Missouri
  2. Minneapolis, Minnesota
  3. Columbus, Ohio
  4. Huntington Beach, California
  5. St. Paul, Minnesota
  6. Grand Rapids, Michigan
  7. Scottsdale, Arizona
  8. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  9. Kansas City, Missouri
  10. Columbia, Maryland
  11. Chandler, Arizona
  12. Peoria, Arizona
  13. Portland, Maine
  14. Denver, Colorado
  15. Oakland, California
  16. Glendale, California
  17. Virginia Beach, Virginia
  18. Mesa, Arizona

At the opposite end of the spectrum, cities like Juneau, Alaska, rank among the worst places for residents with disabilities. Locations near the bottom typically struggle with challenges such as high living costs, limited specialized healthcare options, and fewer accessible public services or employment opportunities tailored to disabled individuals.

The Source: Information for this article was taken from a WalletHub analysis that compared 180 of the largest cities in the United States across 33 indicators. These indicators were grouped into three categories, which included economy, quality of life and health care. Data was collected as of August 26, 2026, from U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Council for Community and Economic Research, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Education Statistics, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Trust For Public Land, Genworth Financial, United Cerebral Palsy, APSE - Association of People Supporting Employment First, WalkScore, Yelp, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Affordable Housing Online, Kaiser Family Foundation, Redfin.com, Mercer and WalletHub research.

U.S.Lifestyle