ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · VA · GEOID 51268752024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Fair Oaks, Virginia

Mean one-way trip27.1 min±3.6 min MOE
Worked from home28.8%±4.0 pp MOE
Drove alone62.5%±3.5 pp MOE
60+ minute trip6.9%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 commute31.2 min → 27.1 min▼ 4.1 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home18.3% → 28.8%▲ 10.5 pp

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

Public transit4.2% → 0.9%▼ 3.3 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone69.7% → 62.5%▼ 7.2 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone62.5% ±3.5 pp
Carpool3.1% ±1.0 pp
Public transit0.9% ±0.4 pp
Walk2.9% ±2.2 pp
Bicycle0.3% ±0.5 pp
Work from home28.8% ±4.0 pp

Each share uses 21,461 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.

61thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is higher than about 61% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

92thWork-from-home percentile

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

51thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is higher than about 51% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

53th60+ minute percentile

The 60+ minute share is higher than about 53% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate35,545± 2,323 MOE
Workers age 16+21,461± 1,480 MOE
Workers with travel time15,274± 1,273 MOE
Estimated home workers6,187± 954 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.