ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · MT · GEOID 30356002024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Helena, Montana

Mean one-way trip13.7 min±1.5 min MOE
Worked from home16.2%±2.5 pp MOE
Drove alone64.4%±3.4 pp MOE
60+ minute trip2.3%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 commute13.1 min → 13.7 min▲ 0.6 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home11.2% → 16.2%▲ 5.0 pp

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

Public transit0.5% → 0.3%▼ 0.2 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone69.8% → 64.4%▼ 5.4 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone64.4% ±3.4 pp
Carpool9.2% ±2.0 pp
Public transit0.3% ±0.4 pp
Walk7.3% ±1.9 pp
Bicycle1.6% ±0.7 pp
Work from home16.2% ±2.5 pp

Each share uses 16,732 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 25k–100k population band.

61thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is higher than about 61% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

28thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is lower than about 72% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

6th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is lower than about 94% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate33,639± 59 MOE
Workers age 16+16,732± 635 MOE
Workers with travel time14,028± 744 MOE
Estimated home workers2,704± 435 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.