ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · AL · GEOID 1141042024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Chelsea, Alabama

Mean one-way trip33.2 min±4.0 min MOE
Worked from home15.1%±3.4 pp MOE
Drove alone78.3%±1.9 pp MOE
60+ minute trip5.2%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 commute35.4 min → 33.2 min▼ 2.2 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home7.0% → 15.1%▲ 8.1 pp

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

Public transit0.0% → 0.4%▲ 0.4 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone86.3% → 78.3%▼ 8.0 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone78.3% ±1.9 pp
Carpool5.3% ±2.1 pp
Public transit0.4% ±0.6 pp
Walk0.0% ±0.3 pp
Bicycle0.0% ±0.3 pp
Work from home15.1% ±3.4 pp

Each share uses 8,211 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.

88thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is higher than about 88% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

65thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is higher than about 65% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

52thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is higher than about 52% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

38th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is lower than about 62% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate16,260± 34 MOE
Workers age 16+8,211± 628 MOE
Workers with travel time6,971± 523 MOE
Estimated home workers1,240± 298 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.