ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · ME · GEOID 23605452024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Portland, Maine

Mean one-way trip19.4 min±1.2 min MOE
Worked from home24.8%±1.8 pp MOE
Drove alone53.9%±2.3 pp MOE
60+ minute trip4.0%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 commute19.5 min → 19.4 min▼ 0.1 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home15.2% → 24.8%▲ 9.5 pp

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

Public transit2.1% → 2.6%▲ 0.5 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone60.0% → 53.9%▼ 6.1 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone53.9% ±2.3 pp
Carpool5.4% ±1.1 pp
Public transit2.6% ±0.6 pp
Walk11.0% ±1.2 pp
Bicycle1.3% ±0.4 pp
Work from home24.8% ±1.8 pp

Each share uses 39,834 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.

15thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is lower than about 85% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

87thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is higher than about 87% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

78thTransit percentile

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

25th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is lower than about 75% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate68,854± 52 MOE
Workers age 16+39,834± 925 MOE
Workers with travel time29,965± 999 MOE
Estimated home workers9,869± 755 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.