Austin's commute times are declining

The share of Austin workers with relatively speedy commutes has increased compared to pre-pandemic times, per a new Axios analysis of census data.

Why it matters: Quicker commutes are tied to better mental health, greater job satisfaction and a host of other personal benefits, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick and Alice Feng report.

• Plus, the less time Americans spend in cars, the better for the environment.

By the numbers: 22.9% of Austin workers had a commute of less than 15 minutes in 2022, up from 20.3% in 2019.

Meanwhile, 6.9% of Austin workers had a commute of one hour or longer in 2022, down from 8.7% in 2019.

• 9.1% of workers had a commute of 45-59 minutes in 2022, down from 10.1% in 2019.

Of note: The total number of workers who commuted in greater Austin was 964,960 last year — down from 1,078,106 in 2019, as the way we work was transformed by a combination of pandemic distancing and profound changes in technology.

The big picture: Nationally, commutes under 30 minutes became more commonplace between 2019 and 2022, while those 30 minutes and longer became more rare.

• 26% of U.S. workers had a commute of less than 15 minutes, up from 24.8%.

Between the lines: These findings don't include employees who work from home and thus have a commute time of zero — or maybe a minute or two, if you stop to pour a cup of coffee on your way to your home office setup.

• Instead, the results are based on the approximately 136.2 million Americans ages 16 and older with non-WFH jobs in 2022.

Context: There are a handful of potential factors at play here.

• The "Great Reshuffling" led many Americans to move and/or find new jobs, and some of those who enjoyed the benefits of pandemic-era remote work decided to prioritize shorter commutes in favor of more personal or family time.
• Meanwhile, some degree of remote and hybrid work is persisting post-pandemic, potentially leading to fewer cars on the road and thus less traffic and faster commutes.

The bottom line: This data may not jive with your personal experience, as construction and other factors can mess with particular routes — but in the broad sense, more Americans are enjoying faster trips to work.