The 2024 Annual Data Release used data from 2018-2022 for this measure.

Data Source

"American Community Survey, 5-year estimates: The American Community Survey (ACS) is a nationwide survey designed to give communities a fresh look at how they are changing. It is critical in the Census Bureau's reengineered decennial census program. The ACS collects and produces population and housing information yearly instead of every ten years and publishes one-year and five-year estimates. The County Health Rankings use American Community Survey data to measure social and economic factors."

Measure Methods

• "Long Commute - Driving Alone is a percentage: Long Commute - Driving Alone is the percentage of workers who drive alone with a commute longer than 30 minutes."

• "Numerator: The numerator is the number of workers who drive alone (via car, truck, or van) for more than 30 minutes during their commute."

• "Denominator: The denominator is the number of workers who drive alone (via car, truck, or van) during their commute."

• "Can This Measure Be Used to Track Progress?: This measure can be used to track progress with some caveats. It is important to note that the estimate provided in the County Health Rankings is a 5-year average. However, for counties with a population greater than 20,000 individuals, single-year estimates can be obtained from the resource listed below."

Source: Long Commute - Driving Alone | County Health Rankings & Roadmaps

References

• Hoehner CM, Barlow CE, Allen P, Schootman M. Commuting distance, cardiorespiratory fitness, and metabolic risk. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2012; 42(6):571-578.

• Frank LD, Andresen MA, Schmid TL. Obesity relationships with community design, physical activity, and time spent in cars. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2004; 27(2):87-96.

• Künn-Nelen A. Does commuting affect health? Health Economics. 2016; 25(8):984–1004.

• Hilbrecht M, Smale B, Mock SE. Highway to health? Commute time and well-being among Canadian adults. World Leisure Journal. 2014; 56(2):151–163