Indianapolis commutes get even shorter
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Much has changed about how we work, but there's at least one constant: short commutes.
What's happening: Indianapolis workers took less time getting to work than the national average before the COVID-19 pandemic — and still come out ahead now even as commute times have dropped nationwide.
Why it matters: It's a quality of life feature. Quicker commutes are tied to better mental health, greater job satisfaction and a host of other personal benefits.
By the numbers: 39.3% of Indianapolis workers had a commute of 15-29 minutes in 2022, up from 38.6% in 2019, per a new Axios analysis of census data.
- Another 23.8% had a commute of less than 15 minutes, up from 23.2%.
Meanwhile, the share of Indianapolis-area workers with a commute of 30 minutes to more than an hour dropped slightly between 2019 and 2022.
Of note: 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.
- The total number of Indianapolis-area workers who commute to a physical location dropped from 973,250 to 923,363 between 2019 and 2022.
The big picture: Nationally, commutes under 30 minutes became more commonplace, while those 30 minutes and longer became more rare.
- 36.8% of U.S. workers had a commute of 15-29 minutes in 2022, up from 35.6% in 2019.
- Another 26% had a commute of less than 15 minutes, up from 24.8%.
Between the lines: 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.
- Some degree of remote and hybrid work is persisting post-pandemic, leading to fewer cars on the road and thus less traffic and faster commutes.