ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · MT · GEOID 30356372024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Helena Valley West Central, Montana

Mean one-way trip19.6 min±4.2 min MOE
Worked from home14.8%±3.9 pp MOE
Drove alone76.3%±4.9 pp MOE
60+ minute trip3.5%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 commute18.2 min → 19.6 min▲ 1.4 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home8.4% → 14.8%▲ 6.4 pp

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

Public transit0.1% → 0.0%— 0.0 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone82.4% → 76.3%▼ 6.1 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone76.3% ±4.9 pp
Carpool6.5% ±3.0 pp
Public transit0.0% ±0.1 pp
Walk0.2% ±0.3 pp
Bicycle0.8% ±1.2 pp
Work from home14.8% ±3.9 pp

Each share uses 4,033 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.

19thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is lower than about 81% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

64thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is higher than about 64% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

39thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is lower than about 61% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

21th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is lower than about 79% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate8,056± 922 MOE
Workers age 16+4,033± 476 MOE
Workers with travel time3,435± 436 MOE
Estimated home workers598± 174 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.