It’s not easy getting to work. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it took 148 million workers in 2019 an average of 27.6 minutes to get to work, an all-time high that summarizes travel trends between 2006 and 2019. That adds up to almost one hour each day, just under five hours a week and roughly 250 hours per year (if you work 50 weeks) of commuting. Let’s break down three costs of the average commute to work.
Find out now: What will my commute be?
1. Time
And in some parts of the country, it takes even longer. In parts of Chicago, for instance, the average commute time to work is more than 33 minutes. In parts of New York state, it averages more than 37 minutes. In factthere are plenty of people out there who are burdened with what are known as mega-commutes. According to U.S. Census data, 9.8% (14.5 million) U.S. workers traveled one hour or more each way to work as of 2019. And 3.1% (almost 4.6 million) endured a mega-commute of at least 90 minutes each way to work.
That’s a lot of time spent in cars, on trains or hanging onto a strap on a city bus. But did you know that a long car commute is costing you more than time. Have you ever added up how much money it is costing you? It takes a lot of dollars to pay for gasoline, parking and oil changes.
Commuting swallows about 6 percent of the incomes of the working poor. Members of the working poor who drive alone, instead of relying on carpools, see 8% to 9% of their incomes erased by commuting, according to the Brookings Institution.
2. Money
So how much is commuting to work costing you? It’s difficult to come up with an exact figure. The Fuel Gauge Report from AAA said that the national average cost of a gallon of gas in mid-March was $2.88. Say your car gets 23 miles per gallon. If you drive 30 miles to your job and 30 miles back every day, that’s 60 miles a day. If you do this five days a week, that’s 300 miles a week.
For a week, then, you’d spend roughly $37.50 for gasoline. Multiply that by 50 (accounting for two weeks vacation) and you get $1,875 in gas alone.
Of course, gas isn’t the only cost you’ll face as you drive to work. You’ll also have to figure in the wear and tear on your vehicle and maintenance such as regular oil changes. And what about parking? If you have to pay for that, your yearly commuting costs will be much higher.
And this is just the monetary cost. A Gallup pollstudied more than 170,000 workers from 2009 through 2010 about their health, measuring their relative health on a scale of one to 100. The survey found that adults who commute more than 90 minutes one way to work had an average health index score of just 63.9. Those who commuted 10 minutes or less to work had an average score of 69.2.
A long commute is even worse for you if you don’t particularly like your job. In 2012 Gallupfound that 15.5 percent of U.S. workers who were “actively disengaged” at work reported high levels of stress and worry in their lives and low levels of happiness and enjoyment. That figure rose to 27.1 percent, though, for “actively disengaged” workers who had longer commutes of 45 minutes or more.
Another survey in 2018 concludedthat “despite changes in how Americans get to work, their commute times haven’t gotten any shorter, and long commutes could impact theirwell-being.” The poll said that Americans with longer commutes are more likely to have neck and back pain, high cholesterol and obesity, and feel less-rested and more anxious.
No one’s saying that a long commute is never worth it. If you find an ideal job that takes a while to reach each morning, you might still be very happy. And if the job pays enough, you can easily make up the increased cost of your commute.
But what if your job isn’t particularly satisfying and it takes you more than 45 minutes to get to it each morning? The increased cost of commuting might mean it’s time to search for a new position.
Tips for Managing Your Finances
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FAQs
68.7% of Americans commute to work alone in a vehicle each day. And personal commute costs like fuel, maintenance, and insurance can really start to accumulate for drivers with long commute distances. On average, U.S. car commuters will spend $170 on commuting each month and $2,043 on commuting each year.
What is the true cost of commuting to work? ›
Those who drive to work will need to make sure they're factoring all of their commuting costs into their monthly budget. According to Clever Real Estate, commuters in the U.S. spend approximately $8,466 on their commute every year — about 19 percent of their annual income.
What do you commute to work? ›
Your commute is a regular journey you make between your home and workplace. You can use any means of travel to make the trip, including walking, driving, cycling, ride-hailing, or public transport.
What is a typical commute to work? ›
Drivers in the U.S. have an average commute time of 26.7 minutes. Depending on where you're at in the world, this is a fairly common range. Most of the major European Union countries have an average 30-minute commute time, for instance, while drivers in China have commutes that are closer to an hour.
What are commuting expenses? ›
Commuting expenses are costs that are incurred as a result of the taxpayer's regular means of getting back and forth to his or her place of employment. Commuting expenses can include car expenses, biking expenses, and public transportation costs.
What are the common problems in commuting? ›
Inside transport modes, commuters suffered discomfort as a result of overcrowding, microclimatic conditions, noise and vibrations. Commuters also reported higher psychological stress scores, more health complaints, essentially of psychosomatic nature, and greater absenteeism from work due to sickness.
How to answer what is your means of transportation to work? ›
"Point to be noted to answer"
- Mention the mode of transportation you intend to use, whether it's by car, public transportation, cycling, walking, or a combination of these.
- Provide an estimate of how long your commute is expected to take. ...
- Emphasize the reliability of your chosen transportation method.
Take Public Transportation
In addition to saving money, taking public transportation gives you time to read, nap or catch up on work during your commute. Buying monthly or annual passes for public transportation is generally cheaper than paying by the day.
How do I spend my commute? ›
Read a Book or Listen to an Audiobook
Whether you enjoy action and adventure or the intricacies of a mystery novel, reading during your commute is an excellent way to pass the time. If you drive to work or suffer from motion sickness, reading a book might not be an option. However, audiobooks are a great alternative.
What is considered a long daily commute? ›
United States Census Bureau defines this as a daily journey to work that takes more than 90 minutes each way.
Shorter drives between 30-60 minutes are acceptable to most people, and you can consider those that take longer to be 'too far' a drive to work. Driving too far to work has plenty of negative effects on your punctuality and your health, finances, and productivity at work.
What is a healthy commute time? ›
This is consistent with other studies that show most people do not want a commute time of shorter than 15 minutes. I agree that around 15 minutes would be ideal. But how you commute seems to matter just as much as the length of time.
What are the costs associated with transportation? ›
Types of Transportation Costs
They include expenses associated with fuel, vehicle maintenance, driver wages, tolls, and any fees charged by transportation providers. Freight Charges: Freight charges are the costs charged by carriers or logistics providers for transporting goods.
What are the common costs of transportation? ›
Common cost: A cost which is incurred simultaneously for a whole organization, where it cannot be allocated directly to any particular product. These may be fixed or variable (e.g. the farm's driveway).
What is the opportunity cost of commuting to work? ›
Over the course of a year, the average commuter spends over 200 hours getting to and from work, and the opportunity cost of that lost time is roughly $5,200. Commuting costs Americans over $16 billion annually in time, fuel, and maintenance.
What are transportation costs for employees? ›
Allowable transportation expenses may include transportation network company fare or taxi fare, plus applicable mandatory taxes and fees. A transportation network company (such as Uber or Lyft) expense or a taxi expense may be an allowable expense if it is: Incurred in accordance with state policy.
