Northwest Arkansas workers' commutes have gotten a little longer
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The share of Northwest Arkansas workers with relatively speedy commutes has slightly decreased 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 many other personal benefits.
By the numbers: 74.4% of NWA workers had a commute time of under 30 minutes in 2022, compared to 74.6% in 2019.
- 44.4% of NWA workers had a commute of 15-29 minutes in 2022, up from 41.3% in 2019.
- Another 30% had a commute of less than 15 minutes, down from 33.3%.
Yes, but: The share of NWA workers with a commute time of 30-59 minutes dropped from 22.5% in 2019 to 21.9% in 2022.
But, but, but: The share of folks commuting over an hour (!) to work increased from 2.8% to 3.6%.
Zoom out: Nationally, commutes under 30 minutes became more commonplace between 2019 and 2022, 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%.
Of note: These findings don't include employees who work from home (remote) 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-remote jobs in 2022.
Driving the news: A handful of potential factors are at play.
- 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, leading to fewer cars on the road and thus less traffic and faster commutes.
The bottom line: This data may not jibe 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.