What does this measure?

The average time, in minutes, it takes for a commuter to travel to the workplace.

Why is this important?

Commute time can be an indication of the availability of desirable and available housing near work areas, as well as a measure of worker mobility. In addition, it is a general bellwether for traffic congestion and its related pollution.

How is our region performing?

The average commute time in the region was 21 minutes in 2006-08, roughly one-third less than the state average of 31 minutes. Monroe residents, specifically those in Rochester, tend to have the shortest commutes, and workers from the surrounding counties typically have longer ones. Commute times have been relatively stable across all geographies.

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.