ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · MA · GEOID 25463302024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Northampton, Massachusetts

Mean one-way trip21.4 min±2.6 min MOE
Worked from home24.1%±3.4 pp MOE
Drove alone57.4%±4.0 pp MOE
60+ minute trip4.8%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 commute21.4 min → 21.4 min— 0.0 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home16.6% → 24.1%▲ 7.5 pp

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

Public transit1.9% → 2.8%▲ 0.9 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone64.4% → 57.4%▼ 7.0 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone57.4% ±4.0 pp
Carpool5.5% ±1.5 pp
Public transit2.8% ±1.1 pp
Walk8.2% ±1.7 pp
Bicycle1.7% ±0.8 pp
Work from home24.1% ±3.4 pp

Each share uses 15,433 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.

25thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is lower than about 75% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

86thWork-from-home percentile

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

79thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is higher than about 79% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

33th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is lower than about 67% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate30,962± 29 MOE
Workers age 16+15,433± 547 MOE
Workers with travel time11,708± 734 MOE
Estimated home workers3,725± 541 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.