ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · KS · GEOID 20710002024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Topeka, Kansas

Mean one-way trip16.7 min±0.8 min MOE
Worked from home10.9%±1.1 pp MOE
Drove alone75.5%±1.8 pp MOE
60+ minute trip4.1%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 commute16.9 min → 16.7 min▼ 0.2 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home6.8% → 10.9%▲ 4.1 pp

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

Public transit1.4% → 0.5%▼ 0.9 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone79.9% → 75.5%▼ 4.3 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone75.5% ±1.8 pp
Carpool10.1% ±1.1 pp
Public transit0.5% ±0.3 pp
Walk1.9% ±0.6 pp
Bicycle0.1% ±0.1 pp
Work from home10.9% ±1.1 pp

Each share uses 57,509 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.

3thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is lower than about 97% of covered places in the 100k–500k population band.

30thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is lower than about 70% of covered places in the 100k–500k population band.

20thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is lower than about 80% of covered places in the 100k–500k population band.

30th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is lower than about 70% of covered places in the 100k–500k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate125,786± 71 MOE
Workers age 16+57,509± 1,153 MOE
Workers with travel time51,241± 1,298 MOE
Estimated home workers6,268± 647 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.