Who Walks to Work?

Only 2.8 percent of workers walk to work, according to the Census Bureau. Decade after decade, walking to work has become less common, with the share falling from 5.6 percent in 1980 to 3.9 percent in 1990 and 2.9 percent in 2000. Although the 2.8 percent in the latest data (from the 2008-2012 American Community Survey) is slightly smaller than the 2.9 percent of 2000, the difference is not statistically significant, according to the bureau. This newfound stability in walking to work could be additional evidence of the growing preference for walkable communities, or it could be nothing more than a pause due to the impact of the Great Recession. What explains it? The Census Bureau report examines the demographics of walkers and offers some clues...

• Not surprisingly, walking to work is much more common in cities than in suburbs or nonmetropolitan areas. In cities, 4.3 percent of workers walk to work. In the suburbs, the figure is 2.4 percent. In nonmetropolitan areas, only 1.9 percent of workers commute by walking.
• Walking to work is most common among workers under age 25 (6.8 percent) and bottoms out in middle age (1.9 percent).
• Walking to work is far more common in households with incomes below $25,000 (more than 5 percent of workers walk) and lowest in households with incomes between $100,000 and $149,999 (1.5 percent of workers walk). A larger 2.1 percent of workers walk in households with incomes of $200,000 or more.
• By educational attainment, walking to work is highest among the least educated. Among workers without a high school diploma, 3.7 percent walk to work. Walking is least common among workers with some college (1.7 percent), then rises to 2.7 percent among workers with a graduate degree.

The demographics reveal two types of workers who commute by walking—those who can't afford a car (young adults, low-income households, the least educated) and those who can afford to live in the nation's increasingly popular and pricey walkable communities.

Source: Census Bureau, Modes Less Traveled—Bicycling and Walking to Work in the United States: 2008-2012

Oklahoma City's Daytime Population

Daytime population statistics might explain why the EF5 tornado that struck Moore, Oklahoma, on May 20 resulted in relatively few deaths. The tornado occurred on a Monday afternoon, when many people were away from home. Despite being one of the most powerful tornadoes in U.S. history, destroying or damaging more than 10,000 homes, the death toll was 24. Compare that to the 158 people who died in the 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri, which struck on a Sunday afternoon. What a difference the day makes.

According to a Census Bureau analysis of daytime populations, Oklahoma City ranks 14th among the nation's large cities (populations of 500,000 or more) in commuter-adjusted population change. During the work day, Oklahoma City's population expands by 17 percent as commuters stream in from the suburbs (such as Moore) to their jobs in the city. When the tornado hit Moore on Monday afternoon, many of Moore's residents were at work in Oklahoma City. Tragically, their children were attending school in Moore. Ten of the 24 who died were children.

Source: Census Bureau, Commuter-Adjusted Population Estimates: American Community Survey 2006-2010

Long Commutes

It takes the average worker 25.5 minutes to get to work, according to the 2011 American Community Survey, but some workers have a much longer commute. Among the nation's 132 million workers who do not work at home, 11 million have at least a 60 minute commute—termed a "long commute" by the Census Bureau. Here is the distribution of workers by the length of their commute...

Less than 10 minutes: 13.4%
10 to 14 minutes: 14.3%
15 to 19 minutes: 15.5%
20 to 24 minutes: 14.8%
25 to 29 minutes: 6.1%
30 to 34 minutes: 13.7%
35 to 44 minutes: 6.4%
45 to 59 minutes: 7.5%
60 minutes or more: 8.1%

Source: Census Bureau, Out of State and Long Commutes: 2011