CEDSSummary Background People & Communities
Commuting to Work
How workers reach jobs—and how long the trip takes—helps identify where transportation access needs a closer look.
- Travel Modes
- Time to Work
- Regional Mobility
Travel Modes Across the Region
The first chart shows the share of workers in each county who are reported as driving alone, carpooling, walking, using another mode, or working from home. Each county is its own 100% comparison. Choose a category to highlight it across all five counties, or keep all categories visible to see the full mix. Percentages are rounded, so a row may total slightly less or more than 100%.
Driving alone is the largest category everywhere, from 73% in Lincoln to 82% in Eddy and Chaves. Lea has the highest reported carpool share at 17%; Lincoln has the highest reported work-from-home share at 13%. The “Other” category does not separate transit, biking, and other possibilities, so the chart cannot establish whether a particular service is available or used.
View the Exact Travel-Mode Shares
| County | Drive Alone | Carpool | Walk | Other | Work From Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lea | 77% | 17% | 1% | 1% | 4% |
| Eddy | 82% | 9% | 1% | 1% | 6% |
| Otero | 78% | 12% | 3% | 1% | 6% |
| Chaves | 82% | 9% | 2% | 1% | 5% |
| Lincoln | 73% | 11% | 1% | 2% | 13% |
Drive Alone
The largest reported category in all five counties. This share signals how important reliable road and vehicle access may be for reaching work.
Carpool in Lea
Lea has the highest reported carpool share. The figure does not show trip distance, employer programs, or why workers ride together.
Work From Home in Lincoln
Lincoln has the highest reported share. One snapshot does not establish that remote work is growing or that all jobs can be done from home.
Time Spent Traveling to Work
The second chart compares reported average travel time to work, in minutes, on the same zero-based scale. Lea has the highest county average at 25.3 minutes and Chaves the lowest at 18.6 minutes—a 6.7-minute difference. Select Highest First or Lowest First to change the order; the values beside the bars do not change.
A county average can help identify where longer travel deserves investigation, but it does not reveal individual commute burdens, distance traveled, congestion, or whether workers cross county lines. Read it beside the travel-mode chart: a high driving share and a longer average trip raise useful questions about road reliability, job location, and transportation options, but neither measure identifies a cause on its own.
Compare the Evidence
Average Travel Time to Work
Choose a measure and comparison order to explore the values. Bars start at zero; values remain visible beside every bar.
Average Commute (Minutes) · A consistent zero-based scale makes the differences visible.
Reference year not specified. These county averages are historical context, not current travel-time estimates. An average does not show the range of individual journeys or whether workers cross county lines.
View All Values in a Table
| Area / Organization | Average Commute (Minutes) |
|---|---|
| Lea | 25.3 |
| Otero | 22.8 |
| Lincoln | 21.2 |
| Eddy | 19.9 |
| Chaves | 18.6 |
Key Insights
These comparisons help identify questions for transportation and workforce planning. The figures are a starting point for local investigation, not a measure of every resident’s travel choices.
Plan for Dependable Access
Driving alone accounts for at least 73% of the reported travel modes in every county. Road maintenance, safe connections, and access to reliable vehicles can affect the ability to reach work.
Explore Shared-Ride Needs
Lea’s 17% carpool share is the highest reported. Ask workers and employers where shared trips are already useful and whether schedules, pickup points, or cost create barriers.
Understand Home-Based Work
Lincoln reports 13% working from home, compared with 4–6% in the other counties. Review current broadband access and job types before treating remote work as an available option for everyone.
Look Beyond the Average
County travel-time averages range from 18.6 to 25.3 minutes. More detailed trip, employer, and community information can reveal who faces the longest or least reliable journeys.