ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · MA · GEOID 25016402024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Arlington, Massachusetts

Mean one-way trip32.2 min±2.4 min MOE
Worked from home34.5%±2.8 pp MOE
Drove alone43.5%±2.7 pp MOE
60+ minute trip11.0%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 commute33.4 min → 32.2 min▼ 1.2 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home22.1% → 34.5%▲ 12.4 pp

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

Public transit15.7% → 11.1%▼ 4.6 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone51.2% → 43.5%▼ 7.6 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone43.5% ±2.7 pp
Carpool3.0% ±1.0 pp
Public transit11.1% ±1.6 pp
Walk2.0% ±0.7 pp
Bicycle4.7% ±1.0 pp
Work from home34.5% ±2.8 pp

Each share uses 26,959 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.

88thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is higher than about 88% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

98thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is higher than about 98% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

97thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is higher than about 97% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

78th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is higher than about 78% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate46,350± 40 MOE
Workers age 16+26,959± 769 MOE
Workers with travel time17,664± 782 MOE
Estimated home workers9,295± 800 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.