Walking commute statistics describe several related but different measures: walking as a usual way to get to work, any transportation walking during a recent week, and active-commuting outcomes. The distinction matters because the available U.S. national measures are not interchangeable, and many detailed commute figures come from 2008–2012.
Key Walking Commute Statistics
The most useful figures span participation, who walks, commute duration, interventions and health associations:
- In 2022, 16.2% of U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized adults walked for transportation at least once in the previous seven days.
- In 2022, 58.7% of U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized adults walked for leisure at least once in the previous seven days.
- In 2022, 2.9% of U.S. workers age 16 and older bicycled or walked to work in the United States excluding Puerto Rico.
- About 3% of U.S. workers walked to work in 2009.
- The number walking to work was about 6 million workers in 1960 and about 5 million in 1980 in the United States.
- In 2022, 20.9% of adults ages 18–44 reported transportation walking in the United States.
- In 2022, 24.1% of adults below 100% of the federal poverty level reported transportation walking.
- Among U.S. walking commuters in 2008–2012, 48.7% had a commute under 10 minutes.
- Among U.S. walking commuters in 2008–2012, 21.3% usually departed between 8:00 and 8:59 a.m.
- The national U.S. walking-to-work rate was 2.8% in 2008–2012.
- The U.S. West region had a 3.0% walking-to-work rate in 2008–2012.
- In 2008–2012, 6.8% of U.S. workers age 55 and older walked to work.
- A Glasgow trial found the intervention group was 1.93 times as likely to increase walking to work at six months as controls.
- In the Glasgow trial, 25% of the intervention group were regularly active commuters at 12 months.
- A U.K. walking-commute intervention cost £24.19 per participating employee in its 12-month trial.
- Across 17 studies of 829,098 workers, active commuting was associated with 9% lower all-cause mortality risk.
- Walking commuting specifically was associated with 13% lower all-cause mortality risk in that mortality meta-analysis.
- Active commuting was associated with 12% lower obesity risk in a 28-article observational meta-analysis.
- Active commuting was associated with 18% lower diabetes risk in the same meta-analysis.
Contents
- National walking commute participation and trends
- Walking transportation data by age, sex, race and income
- Walking-to-work travel times and departure patterns
- Regional and city-size walking commute data
- Walking commute interventions, participation and costs
- Walking commute health outcomes
National Walking Commute Participation and Trends
The CDC’s 2022 National Health Interview Survey measured transportation walking broadly: walking to get from place to place at least once in the previous seven days. It found that 16.2% of U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized adults did so, while 58.7% walked for leisure; leisure walking is not a commute measure. CDC, Walking for Leisure and Transportation Among Adults: United States, 2022
The Census measure is narrower. In 2022, workers age 16 and older who bicycled or walked to work represented 2.9% of U.S. workers, but the published category combines bicycling and walking.
The same report recorded transit at 3.1% in 2022, compared with 5.0% in 2019 and 2.5% in 2021; transit is context, not a walking rate. U.S. Census Bureau, Commuting in the United States: 2022
Historical Census reporting estimated that about 3% of U.S. workers walked to work in 2009. Rounded historical counts were about 6 million in 1960 and about 5 million in 1980, although population, question wording and measurement context changed across those periods. U.S. Census Bureau, Commuting in the United States: 2009
These figures should not be read as one continuous series. ACS “walked to work” means the usual mode used for most of the distance, whereas NHIS transportation walking includes any qualifying walking during the previous week.
Walking Transportation Data by Age, Sex, Race and Income
The 2022 NHIS results show how broadly transportation walking was reported across adult groups. They describe any transportation walking in the prior seven days, not necessarily a trip to work.
| Group, United States, 2022 | Transportation walking |
|---|---|
| Adults ages 18–44 | 20.9% |
| Adults ages 45–64 | 13.4% |
| Adults age 65 and older | 10.3% |
| Men | 17.3% |
| Women | 15.0% |
| Other or multiple races | 23.3% |
| Non-Hispanic Asian adults | 21.6% |
| Non-Hispanic Black adults | 18.6% |
| Hispanic adults | 16.3% |
| Non-Hispanic White adults | 14.9% |
Source for the table: CDC, Walking for Leisure and Transportation Among Adults: United States, 2022. Race categories follow NHIS definitions, and the values are not work-commute prevalence rates.
Income differences are also visible in the transportation measure. In 2022, transportation walking was reported by 24.1% of adults below 100% of the federal poverty level and by 12.6% of adults at 200%–399% of the federal poverty level; income referred to prior-calendar-year family income.
The same CDC release provides useful contrast with leisure walking. Leisure walking was 61.8% among adults ages 18–44 and 51.6% among adults age 65 and older, while women reported 60.5% and men 56.9%.
Leisure walking rose from 46.9% below 100% of the federal poverty level to 67.2% at 400% or more, and from 43.7% among adults below high school education to 71.2% among those with a bachelor’s degree or higher. These are not commuting outcomes.
Walking-to-Work Travel Times and Departure Patterns
The Census Bureau’s 2008–2012 analysis gives a detailed profile of workers who walked to work. Nearly half, 48.7%, reported a usual commute under 10 minutes, and another 19.8% reported 10–14 minutes.
| Usual walking commute time, 2008–2012 | Share of walking commuters |
|---|---|
| Under 10 minutes | 48.7% |
| 10–14 minutes | 19.8% |
| 15–19 minutes | 13.1% |
| 20–24 minutes | 7.7% |
| 25–29 minutes | 2.0% |
| 30–34 minutes | 4.8% |
| 35–44 minutes | 1.2% |
| 45–59 minutes | 1.2% |
| At least 60 minutes | 1.4% |
Source for the table: U.S. Census Bureau, Modes Less Traveled—Bicycling and Walking to Work in the United States: 2008–2012. The ACS excludes workers at home and uses reported usual commute information.
Departure times were concentrated in the morning, but not exclusively at one hour. Among walking commuters, 2.8% departed before 5 a.m., 9.7% from 6:00–6:59 a.m., 19.0% from 7:00–7:59 a.m., 21.3% from 8:00–8:59 a.m., and 20.2% from 9:00–11:59 a.m.
These are reported usual departure times for the 2008–2012 period.
Regional and City-Size Walking Commute Data
The national walking-to-work rate in the 2008–2012 ACS five-year estimate was 2.8% for U.S. workers age 16 and older. The West region was slightly higher at 3.0%, while small cities in the West were 2.8% and medium cities in the West were 2.7%.
Age-specific values from the same Census report varied across worker groups:
- Workers ages 16–24 had a 2.3% walking-to-work rate.
- Workers ages 25–29 had a 2.4% rate.
- Workers ages 30–34 had a 1.9% rate.
- Workers ages 35–44 had a 1.9% rate.
- Workers ages 45–54 had a 3.1% rate.
- Workers age 55 and older had a 6.8% rate.
Source for the regional, city-size and age figures: U.S. Census Bureau, Modes Less Traveled—Bicycling and Walking to Work in the United States: 2008–2012. The age values were read from a Census report figure, and all of these detailed estimates retain the 2008–2012 period label rather than representing current prevalence.
Walking Commute Interventions, Participation and Costs
Trial evidence shows that participation can respond to workplace-focused programs, but the results come from selected samples and specific protocols. In a Glasgow randomized trial involving three workplaces, the intervention group was 1.93 times as likely as controls to increase walking to work at six months, with a 95% confidence interval of 1.06–3.52.
At 12 months, 25% of the Glasgow intervention group were regularly active commuters. “Active commuting” included walking or cycling, and the participants were employees already considering or irregularly doing active commuting, so the result is not a population prevalence estimate. Walk in to Work Out: a randomised controlled trial of a self help intervention to promote active commuting
In a separate U.K. cluster trial covering 87 workplaces in southwest England and south Wales, 65% of recruited employees traveled to work by car at baseline, and 89% lived more than 2 km from work. The walking-commute intervention cost an average £181.97 per workplace and £24.19 per participating employee over the 12-month trial.
The same trial found no evidence of an intervention effect on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity at 12 months. That null result evaluates this intervention and follow-up; it does not show that walking has no benefit. Evaluation of an intervention to promote walking during the commute to work: a cluster randomised controlled trial
Walking Commute Health Outcomes
The health evidence is mainly observational and often combines walking with cycling under “active commuting.” A systematic review of 17 studies covering 829,098 workers found active commuting associated with a 9% lower all-cause mortality risk and a 15% lower cardiovascular mortality risk.
In the same mortality review, walking commuting specifically was associated with a 13% lower all-cause mortality risk, with a 95% confidence interval of 1%–25%. Cycling commuting was associated with a 21% lower all-cause mortality risk and a 33% lower cardiovascular mortality risk; those cycling results are contextual, not walking results. Protective Effect on Mortality of Active Commuting to Work: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
| Outcome in observational meta-analysis | Active commuting association |
|---|---|
| Obesity risk | Relative risk 0.88; 12% lower risk |
| Hypertension | Relative risk 0.95 |
| Diabetes risk | Relative risk 0.82; 18% lower risk |
The 28-article review searched through 2020 and reported heterogeneity of I²=69.1% for obesity, 82.2% for hypertension and 44.5% for diabetes. Its confidence interval for hypertension was 0.87–1.04, which includes no association; active commuting combined walking and cycling. Active commuting and the risk of obesity, hypertension and diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies
A separate 2019 prospective meta-analysis of 23 studies found active commuting associated with relative risk 0.92 for all-cause mortality and 0.91 for cardiovascular-disease incidence. It also reported relative risk 0.70 for diabetes after removing an outlying study, a sensitivity analysis among three included studies rather than a randomized effect estimate.
These findings are associations, not proof that walking commutes caused the observed differences. Definitions of active commuting varied, and the results should be interpreted alongside the study populations, confidence intervals and the distinction between walking-specific and combined walking-and-cycling estimates. Protective Effect on Mortality of Active Commuting to Work: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis