ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · IA · GEOID 19035202024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Atlantic, Iowa

Mean one-way trip10.8 min±1.9 min MOE
Worked from home10.2%±4.1 pp MOE
Drove alone79.5%±4.1 pp MOE
60+ minute trip3.1%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 commute12.3 min → 10.8 min▼ 1.5 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home6.4% → 10.2%▲ 3.8 pp

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

Public transit0.7% → 0.1%▼ 0.5 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone81.0% → 79.5%▼ 1.5 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone79.5% ±4.1 pp
Carpool4.4% ±2.9 pp
Public transit0.1% ±0.3 pp
Walk3.1% ±2.3 pp
Bicycle0.0% ±0.4 pp
Work from home10.2% ±4.1 pp

Each share uses 3,539 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.

1thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is lower than about 99% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

42thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is lower than about 58% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

42thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is lower than about 58% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

17th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is lower than about 83% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate6,763± 18 MOE
Workers age 16+3,539± 211 MOE
Workers with travel time3,179± 220 MOE
Estimated home workers360± 147 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.