ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · NC · GEOID 37255802024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Gastonia, North Carolina

Mean one-way trip26.8 min±1.6 min MOE
Worked from home12.0%±1.4 pp MOE
Drove alone77.1%±2.1 pp MOE
60+ minute trip7.9%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 commute25.5 min → 26.8 min▲ 1.2 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home5.1% → 12.0%▲ 6.9 pp

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

Public transit0.8% → 0.7%▼ 0.1 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone82.7% → 77.1%▼ 5.6 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone77.1% ±2.1 pp
Carpool8.8% ±1.6 pp
Public transit0.7% ±0.4 pp
Walk0.7% ±0.4 pp
Bicycle0.0% ±0.1 pp
Work from home12.0% ±1.4 pp

Each share uses 39,142 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.

59thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is higher than about 59% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

41thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is lower than about 59% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

43thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is lower than about 57% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

61th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is higher than about 61% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate82,884± 72 MOE
Workers age 16+39,142± 1,102 MOE
Workers with travel time34,462± 1,152 MOE
Estimated home workers4,680± 575 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.