ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · VA · GEOID 51077842024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Blacksburg, Virginia

Mean one-way trip14.8 min±1.5 min MOE
Worked from home18.2%±2.5 pp MOE
Drove alone51.0%±3.3 pp MOE
60+ minute trip1.7%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 commute14.4 min → 14.8 min▲ 0.4 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home15.3% → 18.2%▲ 2.9 pp

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

Public transit6.7% → 6.2%▼ 0.5 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone56.4% → 51.0%▼ 5.4 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone51.0% ±3.3 pp
Carpool7.0% ±1.8 pp
Public transit6.2% ±1.8 pp
Walk11.8% ±1.6 pp
Bicycle3.6% ±1.7 pp
Work from home18.2% ±2.5 pp

Each share uses 19,552 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.

2thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is lower than about 98% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

68thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is higher than about 68% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

92thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is higher than about 92% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

1th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is lower than about 99% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate45,446± 61 MOE
Workers age 16+19,552± 744 MOE
Workers with travel time15,994± 865 MOE
Estimated home workers3,558± 512 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.