ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · CA · GEOID 6595872024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Rancho Santa Margarita, California

Mean one-way trip26.2 min±1.9 min MOE
Worked from home25.4%±2.5 pp MOE
Drove alone64.7%±2.4 pp MOE
60+ minute trip6.9%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 commute27.8 min → 26.2 min▼ 1.7 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home17.0% → 25.4%▲ 8.4 pp

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

Public transit0.1% → 0.1%— 0.0 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone72.2% → 64.7%▼ 7.6 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone64.7% ±2.4 pp
Carpool7.5% ±1.8 pp
Public transit0.1% ±0.1 pp
Walk1.2% ±0.7 pp
Bicycle0.2% ±0.1 pp
Work from home25.4% ±2.5 pp

Each share uses 25,841 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.

55thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is higher than about 55% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

88thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is higher than about 88% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

13thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is lower than about 87% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

54th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is higher than about 54% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate46,990± 61 MOE
Workers age 16+25,841± 775 MOE
Workers with travel time19,269± 790 MOE
Estimated home workers6,572± 683 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.