ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · AK · GEOID 2586602024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Palmer, Alaska

Mean one-way trip26.8 min±2.9 min MOE
Worked from home8.6%±2.4 pp MOE
Drove alone73.7%±3.8 pp MOE
60+ minute trip12.1%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 commute27.1 min → 26.8 min▼ 0.3 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home5.2% → 8.6%▲ 3.4 pp

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

Public transit0.3% → 0.4%▲ 0.1 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone79.2% → 73.7%▼ 5.5 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone73.7% ±3.8 pp
Carpool9.6% ±1.8 pp
Public transit0.4% ±0.4 pp
Walk4.3% ±1.6 pp
Bicycle0.4% ±0.4 pp
Work from home8.6% ±2.4 pp

Each share uses 2,903 estimated workers as its denominator. Categories shown here do not include every ACS mode.

03 / PEER CONTEXT

Compared with similar-size places

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

61thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is higher than about 61% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

34thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is lower than about 66% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

54thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is higher than about 54% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

79th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is higher than about 79% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate6,268± 36 MOE
Workers age 16+2,903± 177 MOE
Workers with travel time2,653± 180 MOE
Estimated home workers250± 71 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.