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New Census Data Details Commuting Characteristics in Hampton Roads

New Census Data Details Commuting Characteristics in Hampton Roads

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released data from the American Community Survey for the year 2015. The American Community Survey contains a variety of information collected from millions of surveys distributed nationwide regarding population, housing, economics, and demographics. 

As part of the American Community Survey, the Census Bureau collects data on commuting. Information regarding where residents work, how they commute to work, when they leave for work, and how long their commute takes is included. 

According to HRTPO’s analysis of American Community Survey commuting data:

  • 82.5% of Hampton Roads commuters drove alone to work each day in 2015. This percentage ranks Hampton Roads 8th highest among 36 metropolitan areas with populations between one and three million people across the United States. The percentage of Hampton Roads commuters that drove alone to work each day has increased each decade – 60% in 1980, 73% in 1990, 79% in 2000, and 81% in 2010.
  • The average amount of time it took to commute to work in Hampton Roads was 24.8 minutes in 2015. This was the 14th shortest commuting time among the 36 metropolitan areas as described above. The average travel time to work in Hampton Roads has changed little in recent years, varying between 23-25 minutes each year since 2000.
  • Just under half (49%) of Hampton Roads commuters worked in a locality that was different than the one they resided in. This was the 3rd highest percentage among the 36 comparable metropolitan areas. 

More information regarding the American Community Survey and commuting data is available from the U.S. Census Bureau at http://www.census.gov/acs.

Commuting data pie chart

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