ACS 2024 5-YEAR ESTIMATES↗ DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM 2021UPDATED JAN 29, 2026
COMMUTESHIFTHow America gets to work
PLACE · WA · GEOID 53513002024 5-YEAR

COMMUTE PROFILE

Olympia, Washington

Mean one-way trip20.0 min±2.0 min MOE
Worked from home25.6%±2.5 pp MOE
Drove alone59.4%±3.3 pp MOE
60+ minute trip5.4%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 commute21.4 min → 20.0 min▼ 1.4 min

Average for workers who did not work from home.

Work from home14.0% → 25.6%▲ 11.6 pp

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

Public transit3.2% → 1.9%▼ 1.3 pp

Public transportation excluding taxi.

Drive alone67.0% → 59.4%▼ 7.6 pp

Car, truck, or van—drove alone.

02 / MODE SHARE

How residents usually get to work

Drive alone59.4% ±3.3 pp
Carpool6.3% ±1.4 pp
Public transit1.9% ±1.0 pp
Walk4.9% ±1.2 pp
Bicycle1.1% ±0.6 pp
Work from home25.6% ±2.5 pp

Each share uses 27,011 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.

18thMean commute percentile

Mean commute time is lower than about 82% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

88thWork-from-home percentile

The work-from-home share is higher than about 88% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

70thTransit percentile

The public-transit share is higher than about 70% of covered places in the 25k–100k population band.

40th60+ minute percentile

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

04 / ESTIMATE BASE

The counts behind the shares

Population estimate55,951± 43 MOE
Workers age 16+27,011± 1,067 MOE
Workers with travel time20,088± 1,132 MOE
Estimated home workers6,923± 730 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.