ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · ME · GEOID 23039502024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Belfast, Maine

Mean one-way trip21.5 min±7.4 min MOE
Worked from home12.0%±6.0 pp MOE
Drove alone76.5%±10.2 pp MOE
60+ minute trip5.8%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 commute17.4 min → 21.5 min▲ 4.1 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home9.7% → 12.0%▲ 2.2 pp

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

Public transit0.9% → 0.8%— 0.0 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone74.5% → 76.5%▲ 2.0 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone76.5% ±10.2 pp
Carpool5.4% ±4.6 pp
Public transit0.8% ±1.8 pp
Walk4.6% ±3.5 pp
Bicycle0.0% ±0.6 pp
Work from home12.0% ±6.0 pp

Each share uses 2,560 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.

29thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is lower than about 71% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

51thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is higher than about 51% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

64thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is higher than about 64% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

44th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is lower than about 56% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate6,986± 17 MOE
Workers age 16+2,560± 338 MOE
Workers with travel time2,254± 354 MOE
Estimated home workers306± 159 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.