Public transit commuting by state (2024)

Public transit commuting by state

New York has the highest estimate (24.2%); South Dakota has the lowest (0.2%). Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-year, 2024.

Data year: 2024Source released Sept. 11, 2025Last updated Oct. 23, 2026GCT0804

50 ranked states; DC and Puerto Rico appear as reference rows where the source supplies them. Highest does not mean best. Ranks reflect point estimates; close values may not differ statistically.

State distribution and comparisons

The middle of the 50-state distribution is 1.0%: the average of the 25th and 26th ordered state estimates. This treats each state equally, so it answers a different question from a population-weighted national estimate.

No other state is statistically tied with New York at 90% confidence. Every other state differs from the highest point estimate under this pairwise test. This is not a confidence interval for rank, and testing multiple pairs increases false-positive risk.

See the top ten estimates with their 90% margins of error

Shared axis spans the complete 50-state estimate ± MOE range. Intervals describe individual estimates; overlapping intervals alone are not our significance test.

How does this compare with average commute time?

These states’ ranks change the most between public transit commuting and average commute time. These comparisons identify different questions worth investigating; a rank gap does not measure a causal effect or a statistical difference between unlike units.

State	Public transit commuting	Average commute time
Mississippi	0.3% · #45	26.4 min · #19
Wyoming	1.1% · #23	19.7 min · #47
New Hampshire	0.6% · #34	27.5 min · #10

Public transit commuting · 2024 · Percent
Rank	State / jurisdiction	Value	90% margin of error	Difference from previous rank
1	New York	24.2%	± 0.2%	Highest estimate
2	New Jersey	9.7%	± 0.2%	Different at 90%
3	Massachusetts	7.8%	± 0.3%	Different at 90%
4	Illinois	7.0%	± 0.2%	Different at 90%
5	Maryland	5.0%	± 0.3%	Different at 90%
6	Hawaii	4.3%	± 0.5%	Different at 90%
7	Pennsylvania	4.2%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
7	Washington	4.2%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
9	Connecticut	4.0%	± 0.3%	Not distinguishable at 90%
10	California	3.3%	± 0.1%	Different at 90%
11	Virginia	3.0%	± 0.2%	Different at 90%
12	Nevada	2.5%	± 0.3%	Different at 90%
13	Oregon	2.4%	± 0.3%	Not distinguishable at 90%
14	Delaware	2.3%	± 0.4%	Not distinguishable at 90%
15	Rhode Island	2.1%	± 0.4%	Not distinguishable at 90%
16	Utah	1.9%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
17	Minnesota	1.8%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
18	Colorado	1.7%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
19	Vermont	1.4%	± 0.5%	Not distinguishable at 90%
19	Wisconsin	1.4%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
21	Florida	1.3%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
22	Georgia	1.2%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
23	Arizona	1.1%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
23	Wyoming	1.1%	± 0.4%	Not distinguishable at 90%
25	Michigan	1.0%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
25	Missouri	1.0%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
25	Ohio	1.0%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
25	Texas	1.0%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
29	Louisiana	0.9%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
30	Iowa	0.8%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
30	Montana	0.8%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
30	North Carolina	0.8%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
33	Alaska	0.7%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
34	Indiana	0.6%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
34	Kentucky	0.6%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
34	Maine	0.6%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
34	New Hampshire	0.6%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
34	West Virginia	0.6%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
39	Idaho	0.5%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
39	Nebraska	0.5%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
39	New Mexico	0.5%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
39	North Dakota	0.5%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
39	Tennessee	0.5%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
44	Alabama	0.4%	± 0.2%	Not distinguishable at 90%
45	Arkansas	0.3%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
45	Kansas	0.3%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
45	Mississippi	0.3%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
45	Oklahoma	0.3%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
45	South Carolina	0.3%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
50	South Dakota	0.2%	± 0.1%	Not distinguishable at 90%
Ref.	District of ColumbiaNot ranked among states	26.6%	± 1.6%	Reference jurisdiction
Ref.	Puerto RicoNot ranked among states	1.0%	± 0.2%	Reference jurisdiction

Public transit commuting · 2024 · Percent

Rank

State / jurisdiction

Value

90% margin of error

Difference from previous rank

New York

24.2%

± 0.2%

Highest estimate

New Jersey

9.7%

± 0.2%

Different at 90%

Massachusetts

7.8%

± 0.3%

Different at 90%

Illinois

7.0%

± 0.2%

Different at 90%

Maryland

5.0%

± 0.3%

Different at 90%

Hawaii

4.3%

± 0.5%

Different at 90%

Pennsylvania

4.2%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Washington

4.2%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Connecticut

4.0%

± 0.3%

Not distinguishable at 90%

California

3.3%

± 0.1%

Different at 90%

Virginia

3.0%

± 0.2%

Different at 90%

Nevada

2.5%

± 0.3%

Different at 90%

Oregon

2.4%

± 0.3%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Delaware

2.3%

± 0.4%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Rhode Island

2.1%

± 0.4%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Utah

1.9%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Minnesota

1.8%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Colorado

1.7%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Vermont

1.4%

± 0.5%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Wisconsin

1.4%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Florida

1.3%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Georgia

1.2%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Arizona

1.1%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Wyoming

1.1%

± 0.4%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Michigan

1.0%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Missouri

1.0%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Ohio

1.0%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Texas

1.0%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Louisiana

0.9%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Iowa

0.8%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Montana

0.8%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

North Carolina

0.8%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Alaska

0.7%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Indiana

0.6%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Kentucky

0.6%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Maine

0.6%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

New Hampshire

0.6%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

West Virginia

0.6%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Idaho

0.5%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Nebraska

0.5%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

New Mexico

0.5%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

North Dakota

0.5%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Tennessee

0.5%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Alabama

0.4%

± 0.2%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Arkansas

0.3%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Kansas

0.3%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Mississippi

0.3%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Oklahoma

0.3%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

South Carolina

0.3%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

South Dakota

0.2%

± 0.1%

Not distinguishable at 90%

Ref.

District of ColumbiaNot ranked among states

26.6%

± 1.6%

Reference jurisdiction

Ref.

Puerto RicoNot ranked among states

1.0%

± 0.2%

Reference jurisdiction

What this ranking measures

Workers age 16 and older who usually commute by public transportation.

This reflects commuting behavior and settlement patterns, not service quality or the share of residents near a transit stop.

The size of the gap

The difference between the highest and lowest state estimates is 24 percentage points. The U.S. benchmark is 3.7%. It is not a simple average of the states.

9 states have point estimates above the U.S. benchmark and 41 below it. These counts do not establish statistical significance.

How much should you read into a rank?

Each estimate has a 90% margin of error published by the Census Bureau. For two different states, we flag a difference only when its absolute size exceeds the square root of the sum of their squared margins of error. The comparison tool applies this check to every selected pair.

Non-significance is not proof of equality. These pairwise tests are not adjusted for multiple comparisons and do not form ranking confidence intervals. Statistical method and limitations.

Ranks use the full precision of the source file, so only truly equal values share a rank (1, 2, 2, 4).

Keep exploring

Read the ranking methodology.

Explore the same states in a side-by-side comparison, or combine this measure with others in the custom ranking tool.

Source and method

Producer: U.S. Census Bureau
Product / file: ACS 1-year · GCT0804
Period: 2024
Unit: Percent
Calculation: Published estimate; no transformation of the value. Rank = 1 + number of eligible jurisdictions with a higher value.
Coverage: The 50 states are ranked. Washington, D.C., can be added with the toggle above the table; Puerto Rico is shown for reference only, where the source covers it.
Cadence: Annual. 2025 ACS 1-year estimates scheduled for October 29, 2026 (Census ACS updates page); adoption follows editorial review.
Independence: Rank the States is independent. The agencies that produce the source data do not endorse these rankings.

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Suggested citation

Rank the States. Public transit commuting, 2024. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-year, GCT0804; released 2025-09-11. Edition 2026-10-23. https://rankthestates.com/data/editions/2026-10-23/public-transit-commuting.csv

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Updates and corrections

Last updated Oct. 23, 2026. Earlier editions stay available on the data page, and every change is listed in the update log. If a number or definition looks wrong, report an error with the state, value, and source you checked.

Public transit commuting by state

State distribution and comparisons

How does this compare with average commute time?

The state-by-state view

What this ranking measures

The size of the gap

How much should you read into a rank?

Keep exploring

Source and method

Download, cite, or embed

Updates and corrections

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