ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · CA · GEOID 6725762024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Solvang, California

Mean one-way trip29.2 min±8.5 min MOE
Worked from home15.8%±4.4 pp MOE
Drove alone67.1%±8.8 pp MOE
60+ minute trip9.9%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 commute29.7 min → 29.2 min▼ 0.5 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home17.3% → 15.8%▼ 1.5 pp

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

Public transit1.1% → 0.6%▼ 0.5 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone61.0% → 67.1%▲ 6.1 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone67.1% ±8.8 pp
Carpool6.7% ±4.1 pp
Public transit0.6% ±0.8 pp
Walk8.1% ±5.4 pp
Bicycle1.6% ±2.6 pp
Work from home15.8% ±4.4 pp

Each share uses 2,921 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.

74thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is higher than about 74% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

67thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is higher than about 67% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

59thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is higher than about 59% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

70th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is higher than about 70% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate6,034± 29 MOE
Workers age 16+2,921± 343 MOE
Workers with travel time2,460± 364 MOE
Estimated home workers461± 140 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.