ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · IN · GEOID 18147342024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Columbus, Indiana

Mean one-way trip19.4 min±1.8 min MOE
Worked from home15.6%±2.0 pp MOE
Drove alone71.3%±2.6 pp MOE
60+ minute trip4.5%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 commute17.7 min → 19.4 min▲ 1.7 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home10.9% → 15.6%▲ 4.6 pp

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

Public transit0.4% → 1.2%▲ 0.8 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone76.0% → 71.3%▼ 4.7 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone71.3% ±2.6 pp
Carpool9.6% ±1.7 pp
Public transit1.2% ±0.7 pp
Walk1.1% ±0.6 pp
Bicycle0.5% ±0.3 pp
Work from home15.6% ±2.0 pp

Each share uses 25,768 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.

15thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is lower than about 85% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

59thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is higher than about 59% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

57thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is higher than about 57% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

30th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is lower than about 70% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate51,824± 661 MOE
Workers age 16+25,768± 887 MOE
Workers with travel time21,758± 929 MOE
Estimated home workers4,010± 522 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.