Commuters

Commuting patterns in Pierce County highlight distinct trends compared to surrounding regions. The county sees a higher percentage of residents participating in 2-person carpools, though the share for carpools of 3 or more people aligns more closely with neighboring areas. While Pierce County ranks among the lowest in the state for bicycle commuting, it remains one of the highest for car, truck, or van usage. Additionally, the county’s travel time data reveals that a larger proportion of workers commute 60 minutes or more, likely due to congestion during peak hours and proximity to other major metropolitan areas. Remote work is on the rise in Pierce County, though this may decline as several employers have recently instituted “back-to-office” policies. Furthermore, a notable 26.2% of Pierce County workers commute outside the county, a stark contrast to just 5.7% of King County residents working outside their county. These dynamics continue to shape the experiences and economic realities for Pierce County residents and the commuting costs often associated with regional employment opportunity.

Pierce County continues to experience a high volume of outbound commuters, with 103,657 residents traveling to neighboring counties for work. The largest share (73.7%) heads to King County, followed by Snohomish (6.04%), Thurston (7.09%), and Kitsap (3.16%). In contrast, 46,249 workers commute into Pierce County, with the highest inflow from King County (38.86%), followed by Thurston (22.8%), Snohomish (11.67%), and Kitsap (6.55%).

These commuting trends highlight Pierce County’s strong connections with surrounding regions, particularly King County, which plays a key role in the county’s labor market. The ongoing commuter exchange reflects the county’s economic ties, its reliance on neighboring areas for employment opportunities, and our available labor supply primed for local economic development.

Using data from the Census’ Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics Survey, we can examine worker patterns across various demographic characteristics, industries, education levels, and earnings. By filtering for factors such as age, demographics, education, earnings, and industry, the heat map reveals consistent trends, offering valuable insights into the distribution of the workforce by these attributes.