Employment
Travel To Work
Method of travel to work shows how employed residents usually got to work on Census day, including private vehicle, public transport, active travel, and working from home. It provides a snapshot of commuting behaviour rather than the full transport system.
About this topic
Method of travel to work shows how employed residents usually got to work on Census day, including private vehicle, public transport, active travel, and working from home. It provides a snapshot of commuting behaviour rather than the full transport system.
This topic supports transport and infrastructure planning and helps show how residents access employment. The 2021 results need caution because many parts of Australia were affected by COVID-19 lockdowns, which increased working from home and reduced some other travel modes.
Interpretation notes
- Method of travel to work captures the journey to work on Census day, not a person's usual weekly travel pattern.
- It applies only to employed people and is most useful with place of work or car ownership when considering transport access.
- The 2021 Census occurred during COVID-19 restrictions in many places, so work-from-home and some travel modes need caution in trend comparisons.
Key insight
In 2021, working from home was the most common travel method among employed residents in Sydney (C), accounting for 52.3% (66,323 people). This share was higher than Greater Sydney (38.9%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in working from home, which increased by 61,495 people and 48.2 percentage points.
Section overview
Method of travel to work
Sydney (C) - Employed persons (Usual residence)
This table summarises travel to work for Sydney (C) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Greater Sydney and change since 2016.
Method of travel to work snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Sydney (C), with comparison markers for Greater Sydney.
Train
Bus
Tram
Ferry
Taxi/ride-share
Car - as driver
Car - as passenger
Truck
Motorbike
Bicycle
Walked only
Other
Worked at home
Did not go to work
Not stated
Chart view
Method of travel to work change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Train
-18,564
-16.3pp
Bus
-10,964
-9.7pp
Tram
-143
-0.2pp
Ferry
-49
-0.1pp
Taxi/ride-share
-600
-0.6pp
Car - as driver
-7,046
-7.1pp
Car - as passenger
-1,015
-1.0pp
Truck
-15
0.0pp
Motorbike
-424
-0.4pp
Bicycle
-1,466
-1.4pp
Walked only
-16,398
-14.8pp
Other
-521
-0.6pp
Worked at home
+61,495
+48.2pp
Did not go to work
+5,959
+4.2pp
Not stated
-596
-0.6pp
Data table
Travel To Work for Sydney (C). Method of travel to work. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Sydney.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Greater Sydney% | Count | % | Greater Sydney% | Count | pp | |
| Train | 7,146 | 5.6% | 4.1% | 25,710 | 21.9% | 16.2% | -18,564 | -16.3pp |
| Bus | 4,222 | 3.3% | 1.4% | 15,186 | 13.0% | 6.1% | -10,964 | -9.7pp |
| Tram | 562 | 0.4% | 0.1% | 705 | 0.6% | 0.1% | -143 | -0.2pp |
| Ferry | 32 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 81 | 0.1% | 0.3% | -49 | -0.1pp |
| Taxi/ride-share | 439 | 0.3% | 0.1% | 1,039 | 0.9% | 0.2% | -600 | -0.6pp |
| Car - as driver | 16,297 | 12.8% | 34.2% | 23,343 | 19.9% | 52.7% | -7,046 | -7.1pp |
| Car - as passenger | 1,567 | 1.2% | 2.6% | 2,582 | 2.2% | 3.9% | -1,015 | -1.0pp |
| Truck | 131 | 0.1% | 0.6% | 146 | 0.1% | 0.9% | -15 | 0.0pp |
| Motorbike | 1,001 | 0.8% | 0.4% | 1,425 | 1.2% | 0.7% | -424 | -0.4pp |
| Bicycle | 2,035 | 1.6% | 0.4% | 3,501 | 3.0% | 0.7% | -1,466 | -1.4pp |
| Walked only | 11,722 | 9.2% | 2.3% | 28,120 | 24.0% | 4.0% | -16,398 | -14.8pp |
| Other | 1,194 | 0.9% | 0.8% | 1,715 | 1.5% | 1.1% | -521 | -0.6pp |
| Worked at home | 66,323 | 52.3% | 38.9% | 4,828 | 4.1% | 4.4% | +61,495 | +48.2pp |
| Did not go to work | 13,786 | 10.9% | 13.6% | 7,827 | 6.7% | 7.8% | +5,959 | +4.2pp |
| Not stated | 441 | 0.3% | 0.4% | 1,037 | 0.9% | 0.9% | -596 | -0.6pp |
| Total employed persons aged 15+ | 126,898 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 117,245 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +9,653 | 0.0pp |