ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · CA · GEOID 6189962024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Desert Hot Springs, California

Mean one-way trip28.5 min±3.3 min MOE
Worked from home5.8%±1.8 pp MOE
Drove alone72.1%±3.8 pp MOE
60+ minute trip9.0%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 commute26.0 min → 28.5 min▲ 2.5 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home3.0% → 5.8%▲ 2.8 pp

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

Public transit2.1% → 2.5%▲ 0.4 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone79.3% → 72.1%▼ 7.2 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone72.1% ±3.8 pp
Carpool17.4% ±4.2 pp
Public transit2.5% ±1.4 pp
Walk1.5% ±1.2 pp
Bicycle0.0% ±0.2 pp
Work from home5.8% ±1.8 pp

Each share uses 14,259 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.

70thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is higher than about 70% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

7thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is lower than about 93% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

77thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is higher than about 77% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

68th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is higher than about 68% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate33,200± 37 MOE
Workers age 16+14,259± 826 MOE
Workers with travel time13,433± 832 MOE
Estimated home workers826± 258 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.