ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · MO · GEOID 29350002024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Independence, Missouri

Mean one-way trip23.9 min±1.2 min MOE
Worked from home12.3%±1.5 pp MOE
Drove alone77.7%±1.4 pp MOE
60+ minute trip3.3%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 commute24.2 min → 23.9 min▼ 0.3 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home6.9% → 12.3%▲ 5.4 pp

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

Public transit0.2% → 0.5%▲ 0.2 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone84.9% → 77.7%▼ 7.2 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone77.7% ±1.4 pp
Carpool7.9% ±1.1 pp
Public transit0.5% ±0.2 pp
Walk0.9% ±0.3 pp
Bicycle0.0% ±0.1 pp
Work from home12.3% ±1.5 pp

Each share uses 55,971 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.

47thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is lower than about 53% of covered places in the 100k–500k population band.

41thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is lower than about 59% of covered places in the 100k–500k population band.

19thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is lower than about 81% of covered places in the 100k–500k population band.

16th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is lower than about 84% of covered places in the 100k–500k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate121,740± 60 MOE
Workers age 16+55,971± 1,614 MOE
Workers with travel time49,064± 1,570 MOE
Estimated home workers6,907± 880 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.