Commuting to work is taking many of us longer.
But it’s not necessarily because of the traffic.
Commuting Time
Up by a third, the number of the super commuters that drive 75 miles is increasing. One reason appears to be the hybrid work week. After all, driving to work three days a week (rather than five) makes the long drive palatable. Add to that the lower home prices in distant communities and you get a growing group that commutes from far away.
But still, super commuters remain a small slice of the commuting pie:
One family told the Wall Street Journal that by moving to a distant suburb, they could afford a five-bedroom 3,000 square foot home. Then, if you have to make the drive two or three days a week, a 2 hour and 19 minute trip (the average) each way is bearable.
However, working from home made the move possible:
Meanwhile, the cities with the greatest super commuting increases include Washington D.C. with 100% more people driving 35+ miles and New York City with an 89% pop for 40+ mile drivers. As for commuting distances, in 2019, the average was 10 miles. By 2023, it had become 29 miles. One result? 56 major metro areas in U.S. lost a net 1.9 million people.
So, whether looking at one family or all of us, we have a trend toward longer commutes.
Our Bottom Line: Externalities
Defined as the impact of an activity on an uninvolved bystander, the externalities of commuting can be negative and positive. According to The Washington Post, people with long commutes are more likely to be obese, have hypertension, be divorced and depressed. However, the Harvard Business Review suggests that commuting structures our day and gives us a home and a work identity. It also gives us the quiet time to ponder meetings and speeches.
My sources and more: Today’s ideas started with WSJ. Next, for traffic jams, INRIX facts always come in handy as did their super commuter paper. After that, you might enjoy the analysis of commuting time at HUFFPOST and the Harvard Business Review. But finally, complementing all we said, do look at these past econlife posts, here and here.
