The 2019–2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimate counted 2,629,321 U.S. workers who used a bus to get to work. The same means-of-transportation-to-work universe contained 157,645,183 workers age 16 and over. These figures describe workers’ reported commuting mode during 2019–2023, while Los Angeles transit-service measures below come from 2023.
Contents
- National bus commuting baseline
- Counts in Southern and Western states
- Counts in Northeastern, Midwestern, and Atlantic states
- Male and female bus commuters in selected states
- Additional state sex breakdowns
- Los Angeles bus service measures
National bus commuting baseline
The national ACS estimate provides the broadest measure in this set. It counted 157,645,183 workers age 16 and over in the means-of-transportation-to-work universe for 2019–2023. Within that universe, 2,629,321 workers used a bus to get to work.
The U.S. bus-to-work estimate has a 90% margin of error of 14,403 workers. That margin of error belongs to the estimate for 2019–2023 and is important when interpreting the national count: it is a survey estimate, not a precise administrative headcount.
These data measure the means of transportation workers used to get to work. They do not describe every bus trip, every passenger, or all transit usage. A worker’s commute mode and a transit agency’s passenger-trip total answer different questions, so the ACS counts and the Los Angeles service measures later in this guide should be kept distinct.
Source: B08301: Means of Transportation to Work, 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau).
Counts in Southern and Western states
The state figures below are 2019–2023 ACS 5-year counts of workers who used a bus to get to work. They provide a set of state-level reference points across the South and West, rather than a complete ranking of every state.
| State | Workers using a bus to get to work |
|---|---|
| California | 284,150 |
| Texas | 230,978 |
| Florida | 139,550 |
| Georgia | 78,918 |
| Arizona | 50,668 |
| Washington | 44,058 |
| Colorado | 37,580 |
| Alabama | 26,433 |
| Nevada | 24,947 |
| Arkansas | 19,061 |
| Alaska | 5,245 |
California’s reported count was 284,150 workers, and Texas’s was 230,978. Florida recorded 139,550 workers using a bus to get to work. These are the largest counts among the Southern and Western states listed here, but the figures should not be read as a complete national ranking because only the supplied states are shown.
Georgia had 78,918 workers using a bus to get to work. Arizona had 50,668, while Washington had 44,058 and Colorado had 37,580. The remaining listed counts were 26,433 in Alabama, 24,947 in Nevada, 19,061 in Arkansas, and 5,245 in Alaska.
The geography matters. A state count describes workers whose reported place of work commute is represented in that state’s ACS result; it does not measure the number of bus rides operated by local agencies. Nor does the count by itself describe route coverage, frequency, distance, or whether a worker used a bus for part of a multimodal trip.
Source: 2023 ACS 5-Year Table-Based Summary File: B08301 Means of Transportation to Work, 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau).
Counts in Northeastern, Midwestern, and Atlantic states
The same ACS measure shows substantial variation among the Northeastern, Midwestern, and Atlantic states and the District of Columbia included in the supplied figures.
New York had 79,473 workers who used a bus to get to work. Illinois had 71,502, North Carolina had 65,256, Pennsylvania had 58,945, and Ohio had 56,968. Michigan recorded 51,413 workers, while Massachusetts recorded 34,829.
Connecticut had 18,894 workers using a bus to get to work. Delaware had 5,777. The District of Columbia figure in this table was 1,961 workers.
| State or district | Workers using a bus to get to work |
|---|---|
| New York | 79,473 |
| Illinois | 71,502 |
| North Carolina | 65,256 |
| Pennsylvania | 58,945 |
| Ohio | 56,968 |
| Michigan | 51,413 |
| Massachusetts | 34,829 |
| Connecticut | 18,894 |
| Delaware | 5,777 |
| District of Columbia | 1,961 |
This table is a compact comparison of the supplied jurisdictions, all for 2019–2023. It should not be used to infer that a lower count means less useful bus service. A count can reflect the size and characteristics of the worker population represented in the estimate, while service availability is a separate operational question.
Source: 2023 ACS 5-Year Table-Based Summary File: B08301 Means of Transportation to Work, 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau).
Male and female bus commuters in selected states
The ACS B08006 table separates workers by sex and means of transportation. In the supplied 2019–2023 figures, California had 189,465 male workers and 194,272 female workers who used a bus to get to work. Florida had 51,203 male workers and 56,295 female workers.
Illinois had 74,503 male workers and 89,493 female workers using a bus to get to work. Massachusetts had 33,453 male workers and 46,180 female workers.
| State | Male workers | Female workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | 189,465 | 194,272 |
| Florida | 51,203 | 56,295 |
| Illinois | 74,503 | 89,493 |
| Massachusetts | 33,453 | 46,180 |
The sex-specific counts are separate ACS estimates for the 2019–2023 period. They should not be treated as a measure of bus capacity, trip frequency, or rider behavior outside the work commute. They also should not be combined with the state totals above through unsupported arithmetic: the tables are presented here as the supplied source measures.
Source: 2023 ACS 5-Year Table-Based Summary File: B08006 Sex of Workers by Means of Transportation to Work, 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau).
Additional state sex breakdowns
Additional B08006 figures provide sex-specific counts for New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and Arizona. New York had 197,712 male workers and 286,344 female workers who used a bus to get to work. Pennsylvania had 69,760 male workers and 84,105 female workers.
Texas had 58,633 male workers and 55,132 female workers. Washington had 64,832 male workers and 54,066 female workers. Arizona had 18,065 male workers and 15,838 female workers.
| State | Male workers | Female workers |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 197,712 | 286,344 |
| Pennsylvania | 69,760 | 84,105 |
| Texas | 58,633 | 55,132 |
| Washington | 64,832 | 54,066 |
| Arizona | 18,065 | 15,838 |
The pattern differs by state in this supplied set: the female count is higher in New York, Pennsylvania, and Arizona, while the male count is higher in Texas and Washington. Those are descriptions of the reported ACS estimates for 2019–2023, not explanations of why the differences occur. The source does not establish causes, travel distances, occupations, or household characteristics in the figures listed here.
Source: 2023 ACS 5-Year Table-Based Summary File: B08006 Sex of Workers by Means of Transportation to Work, 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau).
Los Angeles bus service measures
Transit agency operating data offer a different view of commuting infrastructure. In 2023, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority recorded 206,240,433 annual unlinked passenger trips on bus service. It also recorded 717,395,442 annual passenger miles traveled on bus service, 66,288,883 annual vehicle revenue miles on bus service, and 6,457,517 annual vehicle revenue hours on bus service.
These measures describe bus service activity reported by the agency. An unlinked passenger trip counts a boarding without linking it to a later transfer, while passenger miles traveled describe the distance represented by passenger travel. Vehicle revenue miles and hours describe service supplied in revenue operation. They are therefore not interchangeable with the ACS count of workers who used a bus to get to work.
For context, the same 2023 agency profile recorded 276,302,447 annual unlinked passenger trips across all modes. Across all modes, average weekday unlinked passenger trips were 847,188; average Saturday unlinked passenger trips were 601,678; and average Sunday unlinked passenger trips were 499,855.
| Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority measure | 2023 figure |
|---|---|
| Annual bus unlinked passenger trips | 206,240,433 |
| Annual bus passenger miles traveled | 717,395,442 |
| Annual bus vehicle revenue miles | 66,288,883 |
| Annual bus vehicle revenue hours | 6,457,517 |
| Annual unlinked passenger trips, all modes | 276,302,447 |
| Average weekday unlinked passenger trips, all modes | 847,188 |
| Average Saturday unlinked passenger trips, all modes | 601,678 |
| Average Sunday unlinked passenger trips, all modes | 499,855 |
The Los Angeles figures are for 2023 and come from the agency’s National Transit Database profile. They are service and ridership measures, not forecasts. They also use a different geography and measurement framework from the 2019–2023 ACS state and national worker estimates.
Source: 2023 Annual Agency Profile – Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NTD ID 90154), Federal Transit Administration National Transit Database.