Mean travel to work (minutes), workers 16+ years

Tracking the mean travel time to work is important because it provides insight into how much time people in our region spend commuting, which directly impacts their quality of life and overall affordability. Long commutes can lead to higher transportation costs, more stress, and less time for family, and other activities. For our coalition’s goal of ensuring that housing and transportation costs together don’t exceed 45% of income, reducing commute times can play a key role. If people have to travel long distances to get to work, they often end up spending more on gas, car maintenance, or public transportation, which puts a strain on their budgets. By monitoring travel times, we can better understand whether people are living near their jobs or if housing affordability is pushing them farther away, leading to higher costs and less time for daily well-being.