ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
COUNTY · VA · GEOID 511732024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Smyth County, Virginia

Mean one-way trip22.2 min±2.1 min MOE
Worked from home6.1%±1.6 pp MOE
Drove alone82.8%±3.1 pp MOE
60+ minute trip4.8%among commuters

U.S. Census Bureau ACS estimates for residents age 16+ who work. Commute time excludes people working from home.

01 / THE SHIFT

What changed in the published estimate?

These periods overlap: 2021 covers 2017–2021 and 2024 covers 2020–2024. Changes are directional comparisons, not independent annual measurements.

Mean commute22.4 min → 22.2 min▼ 0.2 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home4.7% → 6.1%▲ 1.4 pp

Share of workers age 16+ who usually worked from home.

Public transit0.8% → 0.1%▼ 0.8 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone81.3% → 82.8%▲ 1.6 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone82.8% ±3.1 pp
Carpool9.5% ±1.7 pp
Public transit0.1% ±0.1 pp
Walk0.6% ±0.5 pp
Bicycle0.2% ±0.2 pp
Work from home6.1% ±1.6 pp

Each share uses 11,685 estimated workers as its denominator. Categories shown here do not include every ACS mode.

03 / PEER CONTEXT

Compared with similar-size countys

Percentiles are single-metric context, never a “good commute” score.

31thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is lower than about 69% of covered countys in the 25k–100k population band.

27thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is lower than about 73% of covered countys in the 25k–100k population band.

22thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is lower than about 78% of covered countys in the 25k–100k population band.

20th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is lower than about 80% of covered countys in the 25k–100k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate29,420± — MOE
Workers age 16+11,685± 519 MOE
Workers with travel time10,976± 545 MOE
Estimated home workers709± 188 MOE
Why the ± matters

ACS values are survey estimates. The margin of error is the 90% confidence interval published by the Census Bureau or calculated for a share from published component margins. Small differences can be sampling noise.