ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · IA · GEOID 19586202024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Oelwein, Iowa

Mean one-way trip22.8 min±4.8 min MOE
Worked from home5.3%±3.8 pp MOE
Drove alone77.9%±4.1 pp MOE
60+ minute trip5.6%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 commute20.8 min → 22.8 min▲ 2.0 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home3.0% → 5.3%▲ 2.3 pp

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

Public transit0.0% → 0.0%— 0.0 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone84.4% → 77.9%▼ 6.5 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone77.9% ±4.1 pp
Carpool10.6% ±4.6 pp
Public transit0.0% ±0.1 pp
Walk5.1% ±3.4 pp
Bicycle1.0% ±1.5 pp
Work from home5.3% ±3.8 pp

Each share uses 2,293 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.

37thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is lower than about 63% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

15thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is lower than about 85% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

38thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is lower than about 62% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

42th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is lower than about 58% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate5,834± 24 MOE
Workers age 16+2,293± 194 MOE
Workers with travel time2,172± 184 MOE
Estimated home workers121± 87 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.