ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · MI · GEOID 26340002024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Mean one-way trip19.0 min±0.6 min MOE
Worked from home13.9%±0.8 pp MOE
Drove alone68.7%±1.2 pp MOE
60+ minute trip2.9%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 commute19.2 min → 19.0 min▼ 0.2 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home8.8% → 13.9%▲ 5.1 pp

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

Public transit3.3% → 3.0%▼ 0.4 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone71.5% → 68.7%▼ 2.8 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone68.7% ±1.2 pp
Carpool8.1% ±0.8 pp
Public transit3.0% ±0.5 pp
Walk4.2% ±0.5 pp
Bicycle0.8% ±0.2 pp
Work from home13.9% ±0.8 pp

Each share uses 104,470 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.

12thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is lower than about 88% of covered places in the 100k–500k population band.

55thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is higher than about 55% of covered places in the 100k–500k population band.

77thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is higher than about 77% of covered places in the 100k–500k population band.

8th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is lower than about 92% of covered places in the 100k–500k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate198,535± 81 MOE
Workers age 16+104,470± 1,790 MOE
Workers with travel time89,929± 1,851 MOE
Estimated home workers14,541± 857 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.