What does this measure?

The number of households which report having a vehicle kept at the home, available for use, expressed as a percentage of all households.

Why is this important?

A vehicle makes it easier for people to work and to conduct daily business such as doctor's visits and shopping. Ready access to transportation can also make it simpler to be involved in schools, religious organizations and other forms of civic life.

How is our region performing?

About 91% of households in the region had at least one vehicle available in 2006-08, on par with the Nation and well above the State rate of 72%. There has been very little change for any of the county, regional, state or national proportions since 2000. Livingston County had the highest rate of vehicle access at 96%, while Rochester ranks lowest in the region, yet still above the state's rate, with three quarters of households having a car.

Notes about the data

The 2006-08 figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined three years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census.