See what the average commute is in Kent County, MI

American commutes are getting longer, with a U.S. Census Bureau report released in 2021 revealing the average one-way commute in 2019 reached a record high of 27.6 minutes. Combined with high gas prices, workers' daily commutes are increasingly time-consuming and expensive—so much so that some are calling for commutes to count as part of the workday.

Even worse are travel times for "super commuters"—that unlucky 10% of Americans traveling more than one hour each way to punch a clock.

Stacker compiled statistics about the average commute in Kent County using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Statistics are calculated based on 2020 5-year estimates. Kent County has a shorter commute than five out of six neighboring counties, with Newaygo County, MI having the longest commute at 29.3 minutes.

Kent County commuting by the numbers
- Average commute: 21.3 minutes
--- 13.4% lower than state average
--- #29 best commute in the state
- Workers with 1+ hour commute: 3.7%
- Workers who drive to work: 88.0%
--- Workers who carpool to work: 9.0%
- Workers who take public transport to work: 1.9%
- Workers who work from home: 6.8%
- Left for work between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m.: 12.2%
- Worked outside county of residence: 10.7%

Commutes in neighboring counties
#1. Ottawa County, MI: 20.7 minutes
#2. Kent County, MI: 21.3 minutes
#3. Muskegon County, MI: 21.9 minutes
#4. Ionia County, MI: 27.0 minutes
#5. Barry County, MI: 28.4 minutes
#6. Montcalm County, MI: 29.1 minutes
#7. Newaygo County, MI: 29.3 minutes

Counties with the best commute in Michigan
#1. Luce County: 15.5 minutes
#2. Dickinson County: 16.3 minutes
#3. Alpena County: 16.7 minutes

Counties with the worst commute in Michigan
#1. Lapeer County: 35.9 minutes
#2. Livingston County: 32.1 minutes
#3. Tuscola County: 30.2 minutes