ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · IN · GEOID 18451442024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Lowell, Indiana

Mean one-way trip32.7 min±5.9 min MOE
Worked from home9.1%±5.5 pp MOE
Drove alone78.1%±5.3 pp MOE
60+ minute trip11.3%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 commute31.2 min → 32.7 min▲ 1.5 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home5.7% → 9.1%▲ 3.4 pp

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

Public transit0.0% → 0.0%— 0.0 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone84.0% → 78.1%▼ 5.9 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone78.1% ±5.3 pp
Carpool10.3% ±3.3 pp
Public transit0.0% ±0.4 pp
Walk1.2% ±1.6 pp
Bicycle0.0% ±0.4 pp
Work from home9.1% ±5.5 pp

Each share uses 4,714 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.

86thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is higher than about 86% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

37thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is lower than about 63% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

18thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is lower than about 82% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

76th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is higher than about 76% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate11,073± 59 MOE
Workers age 16+4,714± 505 MOE
Workers with travel time4,284± 479 MOE
Estimated home workers430± 264 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.