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The Best and Worst U.S. Cities for Public Toilets
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From Relief to Frustration: The Best and Worst U.S. Cities for Public Toilets
In many parts of the world, public restrooms are a basic, easily accessible necessity. Yet, in the United States, they remain an elusive and often frustrating resource. Unlike in many European countries, America faces a widespread shortage of these vital facilities. For millions of Americans—especially vulnerable groups like families with young children, the homeless, and individuals with disabilities—finding a clean and accessible restroom in public spaces is an ongoing struggle. Despite their critical role in urban life, public restrooms in the U.S. are frequently neglected, underfunded, and poorly maintained, leaving cities to grapple with substandard conditions and a severe lack of options.
In many parts of the world, public restrooms are a basic, easily accessible necessity. Yet, in the United States, they remain an elusive and often frustrating resource. Unlike in many European countries, America faces a widespread shortage of these vital facilities. For millions of Americans—especially vulnerable groups like families with young children, the homeless, and individuals with disabilities—finding a clean and accessible restroom in public spaces is an ongoing struggle. Despite their critical role in urban life, public restrooms in the U.S. are frequently neglected, underfunded, and poorly maintained, leaving cities to grapple with substandard conditions and a severe lack of options.
CEO of Nationwide Waste Service, understands the critical importance of accessible restrooms: “Lack of access to public restrooms isn’t just an inconvenience—it is a significant public health and social equity issue. This shortage disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, including the elderly, pregnant women, children, the homeless, and individuals with chronic bowel conditions. It undermines their dignity and basic rights. In many cases, the absence of available facilities discourages travel and forces people to turn to the streets, creating health risks and compromising sanitation. Chronic underfunding of public infrastructure only worsens the problem. Local, state, and federal governments must work together to expand restroom access, ensuring all citizens can meet this basic need in a safe, sanitary environment.”
Even for paying customers, a bathroom break is not always guaranteed
When shopping or meeting a friend in the city, people often face a significant challenge when nature calls. While many cafés, bars, and restaurants have restrooms, visitors are usually required to make a purchase—whether it’s a drink or a snack—just to gain access. Recently, Starbucks ended its well-known ‘open-door’ policy, no longer allowing anyone to use its bathrooms without making a purchase. Even for paying customers, restroom access is not always guaranteed.
Regulations around restroom access vary widely by location. In New York, only food establishments with 20 or more seats are required to provide restroom facilities for their customers. In Chicago, restaurants must offer restrooms only if they serve alcohol. Meanwhile, in California, larger restaurants built after 1984 must provide restrooms to both customers and guests. The patchwork approach to public restroom regulations leaves many individuals struggling to find facilities when they need them, turning what should be a basic convenience into an everyday challenge.
The following overview provides a breakdown of the number of restrooms available to all individuals in each of the 50 cities, rather than those restricted to paying customers.
Regulations around restroom access vary widely by location. In New York, only food establishments with 20 or more seats are required to provide restroom facilities for their customers. In Chicago, restaurants must offer restrooms only if they serve alcohol. Meanwhile, in California, larger restaurants built after 1984 must provide restrooms to both customers and guests. The patchwork approach to public restroom regulations leaves many individuals struggling to find facilities when they need them, turning what should be a basic convenience into an everyday challenge.
The following overview provides a breakdown of the number of restrooms available to all individuals in each of the 50 cities, rather than those restricted to paying customers.
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Kansas City Offers the Best Public Restroom Access in the U.S.
In a country where access to public restrooms is often a struggle, Kansas City stands out with a robust network of facilities that serve everyone—from tourists and commuters to families and the homeless. Kansas City, Missouri boasts nearly 30 toilets per 100,000 residents. While the city currently leads in restroom availability, the number of facilities still falls short for a city with over half a million residents and around 28 million annual visitors¹.
San Francisco Comes in Second Place, Richmond Ranks Third
San Francisco offers around 26 public restrooms per 100,000 residents, placing it among the top U.S. cities for restroom availability. However, the city has struggled with significant public sanitation challenges, worsened by rising homelessness. In response to increasing complaints about human waste on sidewalks, San Francisco launched the Pit Stop Program in 2014². This initiative provides clean, safe, and accessible public restrooms, equipped with used-needle disposal and dog waste stations, in the city’s most impacted neighborhoods. Each facility is staffed by trained attendants to ensure proper maintenance and safe usage. In 2024, San Francisco celebrated the opening of its latest public restroom, highlighting the community’s commitment to such facilities³.
Similarly, Richmond, Virginia, offers approximately 27.4 public restrooms per 100,000 residents, reflecting the city’s dedication to providing accessible sanitation for its residents.
Similarly, Richmond, Virginia, offers approximately 27.4 public restrooms per 100,000 residents, reflecting the city’s dedication to providing accessible sanitation for its residents.
In NYC, Finding a Public Restroom Is a Challenge—Even With a Map
As the most densely populated city in the United States, New York ranks surprisingly low—30th—in terms of public restroom availability. This poses a significant challenge not only for its more than eight million residents but also for the millions of annual visitors. In 2024, nearly 65 million people visited iconic landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building, solidifying New York as one of the world’s top tourist destinations4. Given this high demand, the shortage of public restrooms is particularly concerning, with fewer than ten restrooms per 100,000 people. However, New York offers a useful resource for both locals and visitors: the New York City Bathroom Map. This community-driven platform helps users find nearby public restrooms, providing a practical solution to the city’s restroom access challenges5.
Philly Phlush: Philadelphia tackles the problem, one toilet at a time
In cities like Philadelphia, the coverage of public restrooms is limited. With only 6.3 toilets per 100,000 residents, finding a facility when needed can be a challenge. But the city is determined to address this issue. In 2024, the Philly Phlush pilot project was launched with the goal of providing more restrooms throughout the city6. These well-maintained facilities are equipped with modern amenities, such as free menstrual products and baby-changing stations. So far, two Philly Phlush restrooms have been installed, with plans for expansion through 2026. The only drawback is that these restrooms are closed at night. However, they are not the only public restrooms with restricted hours—something to keep in mind when searching for a facility. These limitations help ensure proper maintenance and keep the restrooms clean and safe for all users.
Where Public Restrooms Are Scarce: These Cities Are Failing Their Residents
Public restroom availability is alarmingly low in two of the largest U.S. cities—Phoenix, Arizona, and Los Angeles, California. In Phoenix, a city of over 1.6 million residents, there are just 3.9 public facilities for every 100,000 people. Los Angeles, with a population of 3.8 million people, fares even worse, with only 3.8 restrooms per 100,000 people. The situation is most dire in Montgomery, Alabama, where access is at its lowest nationwide, with just 2.8 public restrooms per 100,000 residents.
Restroom Revamp: America's Push for Better Public Restrooms
Across the United States, many cities are recognizing the urgent need for clean, safe public restrooms. Advocacy organizations such as the American Restroom Association, PHLUSH (Public Hygiene Lets Us Stay Human), and the People for Fairness Coalition have been actively raising awareness and pushing for improvements. The American Restroom Association, for instance, has led efforts to promote nationwide restroom accessibility. In 2024, Washington, D.C. launched a pilot program to install an addition of at least five modern, high-tech public restrooms that are free to use throughout the city7.
Currently, over 20 states have passed the Restroom Access Act, which aims to improve restroom access for individuals with chronic bowel diseases and other conditions that require immediate restroom access in cafés and restaurants. These combined efforts are driving gradual policy changes and community-led projects, steadily improving public sanitation facilities across the country.
Currently, over 20 states have passed the Restroom Access Act, which aims to improve restroom access for individuals with chronic bowel diseases and other conditions that require immediate restroom access in cafés and restaurants. These combined efforts are driving gradual policy changes and community-led projects, steadily improving public sanitation facilities across the country.
Sources
- Visit KC Visitor Statistics
- San Francisco Public Works Public Toilets
- The New York Times San Francisco Celebrates Its New Public Toilet
- City of New York Tourism Statistics 2024
- Got2go NYC Bathroom Map
- City of Philadelphia Introducing the “Philly Phlush,” the City’s public restroom pilot
- WUSA9 DC installing new mobile bathrooms as part of pilot program
Methodology
This study assesses the availability of public restrooms across 50 U.S. cities, selected based on population size, cultural influence, and economic importance.
Public restrooms are defined as facilities accessible to everyone—located in spaces such as parks, shopping centers, transportation hubs, and government buildings—excluding those in cafés or restaurants.
Restroom availability is categorized into five levels, ranging from “Critically Low” (≤5 per 100,000 residents) to “High” (≥25.1 per 100,000 residents).
Data for this analysis was collected from publicly available government records, OpenStreetMap, and the Trust for Public Land, weighted at 50%, 30%, and 20% respectively. In cases where government data is unavailable, the remaining sources are weighted equally to ensure a balanced and reliable estimate.
Public restrooms are defined as facilities accessible to everyone—located in spaces such as parks, shopping centers, transportation hubs, and government buildings—excluding those in cafés or restaurants.
Restroom availability is categorized into five levels, ranging from “Critically Low” (≤5 per 100,000 residents) to “High” (≥25.1 per 100,000 residents).
Data for this analysis was collected from publicly available government records, OpenStreetMap, and the Trust for Public Land, weighted at 50%, 30%, and 20% respectively. In cases where government data is unavailable, the remaining sources are weighted equally to ensure a balanced and reliable estimate.
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