This is the question posed on CityNerd video titled “Walkable Cities But They Keep Getting More Affordable”
If you ditched your car, could you afford to leave the suburbs for a great urban neighborhood?
Ray Delahanty answers the question in the 26 biggest US cities.
The analysis assumes the all-in cost of owning and operating a car is $1,000 per month, including purchase, insurance, fuel, and maintenance.
In the city, transportation costs might total about $250 per month for transit passes, biking, ride-hailing, and other small expenses.
This results in an effective $750 per month increase in the housing budget for city center residents who do not own a car.
The results of the video are quite interesting, as you can get more m² in walkable areas in most cities
I addressed both depreciation and maintenance.
When I purchase a car, I pay, for example, $50,000. If I enter that as an asset, I need to depreciate it as time and mileage add up - ($10,000) year one, (5000) year two.
If I consider the payments simply as a cost, without considering the value of the vehicle as an asset, I don’t need to consider depreciation. It’s right there on the books as (50,000) in 2026. So that $800 for car payments plus insurance is the total cost of the vehicle. This calculation would only be a problem while I have money owing on the vehicle and try to sell it - which I personally won’t do. I’d rather own a car for 15-20 years if I can.