By Amanda Kavanagh
As Amazon staff prepare for a full return-to-office on January 2nd, and Bezos-owned The Washington Post begins phasing in its own RTO mandate – managers return from February 3rd, with all employees returning June 2nd – 2025 is shaping up to be a year of commuting for many.
Though some states have it worse than others – in some cases, twice as bad.
New Search Logistics analysis of U.S. Census data examined average commute times, percentage of commuters using public transport, and population data for all 50 states to determine the longest and shortest average commute times.
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Simply the worst
New York tops the list of states with the longest average commute, with commuters logging 32.8 minutes each way. Though 25.4% use public transport, the highest in any state, with a population of 10,835,491, delays and overcrowding during peak times are suggested as likely reasons behind high commute times.
Also significant is the fact that many cannot afford to live centrally, and so commute far distances to work in the city.
According to a NYC Planning report, commuter sheds to the north and east of NYC still play strong roles in housing the city’s workforce, but New Jersey is fast becoming the primary source of new in-commuters.
This brings us to joining second on the list for worst commutes. Yep, it’s The Garden State of New Jersey, with an average commute time of 31.4 minutes, and Maryland with the same.
In third is Massachusetts (29.9 minutes), followed by California (29.2 minutes) in fourth place, and Georgia (28.7 minutes) in fifth. Completing the top 10 are: Florida (28.5 minutes), Illinois (28.1 minutes), West Virginia (27.7 minutes), and Virginia (27.5 minutes).
Simply the best
On the flip side, the figures for the top ten shortest commute times are all under 23 minutes.
In first place with 18.4 minutes is South Dakota, this is followed closely by North Dakota with 18.5 minutes. Nebraska is in third place with 19.1 minutes, followed by Wyoming’s 19.5 minutes, and Alaska’s 19.8 minutes.
Also in the top ten are Kansas and Iowa (both 20 minutes), Montana (20.2 minutes), Idaho (21.9 minutes), and Wisconsin (22.5 minutes).
The report credits the lower density of people in these locations with a shorter commute time, and also points to the fact that these states have more rural communities, making workers more likely to live closer to their jobs.
Also a factor, particularly for states like Wyoming and Alaska, is that housing in the center of towns is more affordable, meaning people need to commute less distances between home and work.
Using your time more efficiently
In addition to providing these stats, the report also makes some suggestions of what commuters can do during this time.
“When you view your commuting time as an opportunity rather than a burden, you can transform this otherwise lost time into personal and professional development,” says Matthew Woodward of Search Logistics.
“Educational podcasts make your commuting time learning time,” he says.
“Podcasts are an easy way to stay productive for the huge majority of us who drive to work. I recommend apps like Pocket Casts or Spotify, which offer curated lists, making it easy to discover new shows. They also have several offline listening options.”
Mindfulness practice is another idea. Apps like Headspace and Calm are recommended to help you remain calm as you travel.
Updating your to-do list is another one. “Apps like Todoist or Trello offer cross-platform access, meaning the updates you make on your phone will be synced and ready to go when you open the program on your computer.”
Lastly, if you’re not driving, it’s the old classics: reading and writing. “Use e-book apps like Kindle or iBooks for reading and note-taking apps like Evernote or OneNote for writing to make the most of your commute,” says Matthew. “Make sure to download materials beforehand so you don’t have to worry about your internet connection.”
And if you’re really not feeling the RTO, why not look for a hybrid or remote role? The BGR Job Board has plenty of both; search for ‘hybrid’ + your desired title [e.g. hybrid engineer] or click ‘Remote, USA’ from the dropdown menu to see what’s on offer.
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