ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · MI · GEOID 26717402024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Mean one-way trip12.0 min±1.5 min MOE
Worked from home4.5%±1.9 pp MOE
Drove alone73.4%±4.5 pp MOE
60+ minute trip2.5%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 commute13.2 min → 12.0 min▼ 1.3 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home5.4% → 4.5%▼ 0.9 pp

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

Public transit0.5% → 1.0%▲ 0.5 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone71.4% → 73.4%▲ 1.9 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone73.4% ±4.5 pp
Carpool9.9% ±2.8 pp
Public transit1.0% ±1.0 pp
Walk6.2% ±1.7 pp
Bicycle4.1% ±2.0 pp
Work from home4.5% ±1.9 pp

Each share uses 6,743 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.

1thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is lower than about 99% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

11thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is lower than about 89% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

68thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is higher than about 68% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

12th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is lower than about 88% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate13,335± 29 MOE
Workers age 16+6,743± 381 MOE
Workers with travel time6,437± 378 MOE
Estimated home workers306± 127 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.