ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · NJ · GEOID 34591902024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Plainfield, New Jersey

Mean one-way trip29.5 min±1.9 min MOE
Worked from home6.8%±1.2 pp MOE
Drove alone58.0%±2.7 pp MOE
60+ minute trip10.8%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 commute32.5 min → 29.5 min▼ 3.0 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home5.3% → 6.8%▲ 1.5 pp

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

Public transit7.0% → 5.2%▼ 1.8 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone62.4% → 58.0%▼ 4.4 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone58.0% ±2.7 pp
Carpool6.8% ±1.6 pp
Public transit5.2% ±1.2 pp
Walk1.7% ±0.6 pp
Bicycle0.2% ±0.2 pp
Work from home6.8% ±1.2 pp

Each share uses 26,839 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.

75thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is higher than about 75% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

11thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is lower than about 89% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

89thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is higher than about 89% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

77th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is higher than about 77% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate55,236± 56 MOE
Workers age 16+26,839± 944 MOE
Workers with travel time25,019± 901 MOE
Estimated home workers1,820± 320 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.