ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · NC · GEOID 37107402024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Cary, North Carolina

Mean one-way trip22.5 min±1.3 min MOE
Worked from home36.5%±1.4 pp MOE
Drove alone56.3%±1.6 pp MOE
60+ minute trip3.4%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 commute22.8 min → 22.5 min▼ 0.3 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home22.5% → 36.5%▲ 14.0 pp

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

Public transit0.4% → 0.3%▼ 0.1 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone67.8% → 56.3%▼ 11.5 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone56.3% ±1.6 pp
Carpool4.5% ±0.9 pp
Public transit0.3% ±0.1 pp
Walk1.0% ±0.3 pp
Bicycle0.1% ±0.1 pp
Work from home36.5% ±1.4 pp

Each share uses 93,989 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.

36thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is lower than about 64% of covered places in the 100k–500k population band.

99thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is higher than about 99% of covered places in the 100k–500k population band.

11thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is lower than about 89% of covered places in the 100k–500k population band.

17th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is lower than about 83% of covered places in the 100k–500k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate179,306± 190 MOE
Workers age 16+93,989± 1,790 MOE
Workers with travel time59,677± 1,961 MOE
Estimated home workers34,312± 1,443 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.