ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · IN · GEOID 18485282024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Merrillville, Indiana

Mean one-way trip32.1 min±3.6 min MOE
Worked from home7.3%±2.2 pp MOE
Drove alone82.2%±3.8 pp MOE
60+ minute trip14.0%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 commute29.7 min → 32.1 min▲ 2.4 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home5.0% → 7.3%▲ 2.2 pp

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

Public transit1.7% → 1.9%▲ 0.3 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone83.9% → 82.2%▼ 1.7 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone82.2% ±3.8 pp
Carpool4.9% ±1.6 pp
Public transit1.9% ±0.9 pp
Walk1.5% ±0.8 pp
Bicycle0.0% ±0.0 pp
Work from home7.3% ±2.2 pp

Each share uses 16,898 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.

87thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is higher than about 87% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

14thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is lower than about 86% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

70thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is higher than about 70% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

86th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is higher than about 86% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate36,476± 80 MOE
Workers age 16+16,898± 944 MOE
Workers with travel time15,672± 966 MOE
Estimated home workers1,226± 382 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.