Published
March 10, 2025
Contact
Yassert A. Gonzalez – Manager – Economics, Demographics & Research – 813-582-7356 (o) – [email protected] – planhillsborough.org
Last updated
February 21, 2025
As we continue looking at commuting characteristics, we will now review the share of workers commuting over 60 minutes. Typically, since most workers in Hillsborough County live and work in Hillsborough County, an increase in the duration of the commute suggests worsening traffic conditions. This is the fourth of four blogs on commuting characteristics and trends.
About the Data
The source data is from Table S0801 (Commuting Characteristics) from the American Community Surveys for the years 2014-2018 and 2019-2023. The original question was Question 35 of the survey (p. 16). It read as follows: “How many minutes did it usually take this person to get from home to work LAST WEEK?” The survey participant is to provide the commute time in minutes.
Key Takeaways
- 9% percent of workers in Hillsborough County workers commutes over 60 minutes. This share has increased 9% since 2018.
- Hernando County has the highest share of workers commuting over 60 minutes (14.20%). This share has increased slightly since 2018.
- In Tampa Bay Region, also only 9% workers commute over 60 minutes
- Statewide, counties with high share of workers commuting over 60 minutes may be rural or suburban counties. None are in the Tampa Bay Region. In Glades, 23.1% of workers commute over 60 minutes.
- Within Hillsborough County, most areas with highest share of workers commuting over 60 minutes are in South Central and Southeast Hillsborough County.
- Within Hillsborough County, nearly half of the areas saw increases in the share of workers commuting over 60 minutes.
Tampa Bay Region Counties – Workers Commuting over 60 minutes Trends
In 2023, in the Tampa Bay Region, 8.6% of workers commute over an hour. As seen in Table 1 and Figures 1a-1c, the share of workers commuting over 60 minutes ranged from 5.20% (Sarasota County) to 14.20% (Hernando County) and averaged 9.31%. Since 2018, the share of workers commuting over 60 minutes only decreased in Hernando and Pasco Counties. In Polk County, we saw the largest increase in workers commuting over 60 minutes (40.26%). Alternatively, Pasco County experienced the largest decline in workers commuting over 60 minutes (-11.89%). Hillsborough County’s share of workers commuting over 60 minutes matches the median for the Tampa Bay Region and Florida’s share of workers commuting over 60 minutes (See Figure 1c).
Table 1. Share of Workers Commuting over 60 Minutes
| Geography | 2013 | 2018 | 2023 | 2013-2018 Percent Change | 2018-2023 Percent Change | 2013-2023 Percent Change |
| Citrus | 8.50% | 8.10% | 9.10% | -4.71% | 12.35% | 7.06% |
| Hernando | 16.30% | 15.10% | 14.20% | -7.36% | -5.96% | -12.88% |
| Hillsborough | 5.70% | 8.00% | 8.70% | 40.35% | 8.75% | 52.63% |
| Manatee | 5.10% | 6.00% | 7.60% | 17.65% | 26.67% | 49.02% |
| Pasco | 11.30% | 14.30% | 12.60% | 26.55% | -11.89% | 11.50% |
| Pinellas | 4.50% | 5.70% | 6.30% | 26.67% | 10.53% | 40.00% |
| Polk | 7.10% | 7.70% | 10.80% | 8.45% | 40.26% | 52.11% |
| Sarasota | 3.90% | 4.20% | 5.20% | 7.69% | 23.81% | 33.33% |
| Tampa Bay Region | 6.40% | 7.85% | 8.90% | 22.66% | 13.38% | 39.06% |
| Florida | 6.70% | 8.10% | 8.60% | 20.90% | 6.17% | 28.36% |
Note: Tampa Bay Region shares calculated as median of the shares of the 8 counties.
Figure 1a. Share of Workers commuting over 60 minutes for Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, and Manatee Counties
Figure 1b. Share of Workers commuting over 60 minutes for Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota Counties
Figure 1c. Share of Workers that Work from Home for Hillsborough County, Tampa Bay Region, and Florida
Figure 1d. Share of Workers Commuting over 60 minutes for Tampa Bay Region Counties
Florida Counties – Workers Commuting over 60 minutes
As seen in Figure 2, when compared to other Florida counties, none of the 8 Tampa Bay Region counties are amongst the top 10 counties with the highest share of workers leaving before 7 AM. These 10 counties with the highest share of workers commuting over 60 minutes are mixed. Some are rural counties (e.g., Washington) and some are suburban counties (e.g., Osceola). Statewide, those shares ranged from 19.1% (Franklin County) to 61.3% (Holmes County) and averaged 36.6%.
Figure 2. Share of Workers commuting over 60 minutes for 67 Florida Counties
Hillsborough Census Tracts – Commuting over 60 minutes Trends
A Census Tract is a small geographic area within a County. There are 335 Census Tracts in Hillsborough County. Most Census Tracts have a share of their workforce that works from home. In 2023, there are 20 Census Tracts were no worker commuting over 60 minutes. These are located all over the county (e.g., Downtown Tampa, Palm River, Little Manatee River, Lutz/Keystone). For the other 315 Census Tracts in Hillsborough County, those shares range from 0.04% (Census Tracts 31 in Ybor/Palmetto Bay) to 27.8% (Census Tract 139.23 Gibsonton/Riverview) and average 8.2%. The 10 Census Tracts with the highest shares of workers commuting over 60 minutes are in primarily in South Central and Southeast Hillsborough County. (See Table 2 and Figures 3a and 3b). Most of the Census Tracts with highest shares of workers commuting over 60 minutes are in South County (See Figure 4a). Half of the Census Tracts saw experienced increases in the share of workers commuting over 60 minutes since 2018 (Figure 4b).
Table 2. 10 Census Tracts with Highest Share of Workers Commuting over 60 minutes in 2023
| Geography | Area | 2013 | 2018 | 2023 | 2013-2018 Percent Change | 2018-2023 Percent Change | 2013-2023 Percent Change |
| Census Tract 2.02 | North Tampa | 9.60% | 7.80% | 20.90% | -18.75% | 167.95% | 117.71% |
| Census Tract 33 | Ybor/Palmetto Bay | 2.50% | 6.70% | 25.40% | 168.00% | 279.10% | 916.00% |
| Census Tract 108.22 | USF | 0.22% | 6.13% | 21.90% | 2657.14% | 257.36% | 9,752.83% |
| Census Tract 138.03 | Gibsonton/Riverview | 8.30% | 11.00% | 23.20% | 32.53% | 110.91% | 179.52% |
| Census Tract 138.07 | Gibsonton/Riverview | 4.40% | 12.30% | 21.70% | 179.55% | 76.42% | 393.18% |
| Census Tract 139.13 | RP-2 | 12.50% | 17.10% | 22.30% | 36.80% | 30.41% | 78.40% |
| Census Tract 139.15 | Gibsonton/Riverview | 10.55% | 9.33% | 20.40% | -11.64% | 118.74% | 93.29% |
| Census Tract 139.23 | Gibsonton/Riverview | 13.90% | 18.30% | 27.80% | 31.65% | 51.91% | 100.00% |
| Census Tract 140.08 | South County | 15.40% | 11.20% | 22.20% | -27.27% | 98.21% | 44.16% |
| Census Tract 140.13 | South County | 10.20% | 14.00% | 23.40% | 37.25% | 67.14% | 129.41% |
Figure 3a. 5 of 10 Census Tracts with Highest Share of Workers Commuting over 60 minutes
Figure 3b. 5 of 10 Census Tracts with Highest Share of Workers Commuting over 60 minutes
Figure 4a. Share of Workers commuting over 60 minutes by Census 2020 Tracts in Hillsborough County
Figure 4b. 2018-2023 Percent Change in Share of Workers commuting over 60 minutes by Census 2020 Tracts in Hillsborough County
Conclusion
We reviewed shares of workers commuting over 60 minutes from various American Community Surveys. In the Tampa Bay Region, Hernando and Pasco Counties have the highest share of workers commuting over 60 minutes. Sarasota County has lowest share of workers commuting over 60 minutes. Nonetheless, this low share has increased significantly since 2018. Statewide, the counties with the highest share of workers that work in other counties are rural or suburban and are not located in the Tampa Bay Region. In Glades County, the share of workers commuting over 60 minutes is 23.3%. Inside Hillsborough County, those areas with the highest share of workers commuting over 60 minutes are in South Central and Southeast Hillsborough County. Lastly, half of the areas inside Hillsborough County saw increases in the share of workers commuting over 60 minutes.