This indicator measures the average one-way commute time of workers in the Chicago metropolitan statistical area by race and ethnicity, inclusive of all modes of transportation. Longer commute times decrease the productivity of workers and hinder their ability to connect to available and attainable employment opportunities. Local and regional planning should emphasize improving commute times and options for residents facing long commutes by providing high-quality transportation options that are cost efficient and increase residential access to fruitful economic opportunities. This will require shifts in transportation, land use, and economic development planning and policy.
Note about 2020 data: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many workers began working from home in 2020. Since this indicator includes workers who work at home, and since those workers' journey to work time is reported as zero minutes in the ACS data, the 2020 averages are sharply lower than previous years.
| Header | Definition |
|---|---|
YEAR |
Year of observation |
COMMUTE_MINS_ASIAN |
Average journey to work time in minutes for Asian (non-Hispanic) workers |
COMMUTE_MINS_BLACK |
Average journey to work time in minutes for Black (non-Hispanic) workers |
COMMUTE_MINS_HISPANIC |
Average journey to work time in minutes for Hispanic/Latino workers |
COMMUTE_MINS_WHITE |
Average journey to work time in minutes for White (non-Hispanic) workers |
ACTUAL_OR_TARGET |
Actual if the record is from observed data; Target if it is an ON TO 2050 target |
Source: CMAP analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)
Geography: The collection of Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) for which the majority of the 2020 population lived within the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area (i.e. the MSA minus Jasper and Newton Counties in Indiana)