ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · PA · GEOID 42576962024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Palmerton, Pennsylvania

Mean one-way trip30.0 min±5.7 min MOE
Worked from home5.2%±3.9 pp MOE
Drove alone83.9%±7.5 pp MOE
60+ minute trip8.1%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 commute28.7 min → 30.0 min▲ 1.4 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home7.8% → 5.2%▼ 2.6 pp

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

Public transit0.0% → 0.6%▲ 0.6 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone76.7% → 83.9%▲ 7.1 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone83.9% ±7.5 pp
Carpool5.5% ±2.6 pp
Public transit0.6% ±0.9 pp
Walk4.8% ±3.8 pp
Bicycle0.0% ±0.6 pp
Work from home5.2% ±3.9 pp

Each share uses 3,053 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.

77thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is higher than about 77% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

14thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is lower than about 86% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

59thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is higher than about 59% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

59th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is higher than about 59% of covered places in the under 25k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate5,622± 21 MOE
Workers age 16+3,053± 320 MOE
Workers with travel time2,893± 343 MOE
Estimated home workers160± 120 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.