ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · IA · GEOID 19604652024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Ottumwa, Iowa

Mean one-way trip17.8 min±1.9 min MOE
Worked from home4.3%±1.5 pp MOE
Drove alone77.1%±4.3 pp MOE
60+ minute trip4.6%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 commute16.5 min → 17.8 min▲ 1.3 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home2.3% → 4.3%▲ 2.0 pp

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

Public transit0.8% → 1.2%▲ 0.4 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone82.7% → 77.1%▼ 5.5 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone77.1% ±4.3 pp
Carpool14.1% ±2.6 pp
Public transit1.2% ±0.8 pp
Walk1.1% ±0.7 pp
Bicycle0.2% ±0.3 pp
Work from home4.3% ±1.5 pp

Each share uses 11,487 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.

9thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is lower than about 91% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

3thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is lower than about 97% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

56thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is higher than about 56% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

31th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is lower than about 69% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate25,430± 29 MOE
Workers age 16+11,487± 481 MOE
Workers with travel time10,990± 508 MOE
Estimated home workers497± 171 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.