ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · MA · GEOID 25591052024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Salem, Massachusetts

Mean one-way trip28.5 min±2.7 min MOE
Worked from home21.6%±2.5 pp MOE
Drove alone55.9%±3.1 pp MOE
60+ minute trip15.0%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 commute31.1 min → 28.5 min▼ 2.6 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home12.3% → 21.6%▲ 9.3 pp

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

Public transit7.7% → 5.3%▼ 2.4 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone62.2% → 55.9%▼ 6.3 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone55.9% ±3.1 pp
Carpool5.9% ±1.6 pp
Public transit5.3% ±1.3 pp
Walk6.6% ±1.3 pp
Bicycle0.7% ±0.4 pp
Work from home21.6% ±2.5 pp

Each share uses 25,047 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.

69thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is higher than about 69% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

78thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is higher than about 78% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

90thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is higher than about 90% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

89th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is higher than about 89% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate44,795± 33 MOE
Workers age 16+25,047± 957 MOE
Workers with travel time19,644± 1,056 MOE
Estimated home workers5,403± 648 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.