ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · AZ · GEOID 4730002024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Tempe, Arizona

Mean one-way trip20.9 min±1.1 min MOE
Worked from home21.2%±1.3 pp MOE
Drove alone59.1%±1.9 pp MOE
60+ minute trip3.5%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 commute21.4 min → 20.9 min▼ 0.5 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home13.3% → 21.2%▲ 7.8 pp

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

Public transit3.5% → 3.4%▼ 0.1 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone65.3% → 59.1%▼ 6.3 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone59.1% ±1.9 pp
Carpool8.0% ±0.9 pp
Public transit3.4% ±0.7 pp
Walk3.7% ±0.7 pp
Bicycle2.4% ±0.5 pp
Work from home21.2% ±1.3 pp

Each share uses 109,402 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.

25thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is lower than about 75% of covered places in the 100k–500k population band.

81thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is higher than about 81% of covered places in the 100k–500k population band.

80thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is higher than about 80% of covered places in the 100k–500k population band.

19th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is lower than about 81% of covered places in the 100k–500k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate188,065± 51 MOE
Workers age 16+109,402± 2,211 MOE
Workers with travel time86,248± 2,470 MOE
Estimated home workers23,154± 1,515 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.