How Far Is Too Far to Commute?

Too far is the point where the drive eats time you'd rather spend elsewhere, and only you can set it. The Census Bureau's average one-way commute was 27.6 minutes in 2019. Drive your real route at your real time before you buy, and weigh those minutes against the extra space or savings.

What is an unreasonable distance to travel to work?

There's no official line. A reasonable commute for one person feels unbearable to another.

Here's a benchmark: the Census Bureau reported the average one-way commute in the U.S. hit 27.6 minutes in 2019. Many people treat 30 minutes each way as a comfortable ceiling. Others happily drive an hour for more space or a lower price.

A better test than any number: multiply your one-way time by two, then by the days you go in each week. That's the time you'll spend in the car. Is that trade worth what you're getting?

How long of a commute is unhealthy?

I'm not a doctor, and research on this varies. What most people notice is simpler: long commutes take time away from sleep, exercise, cooking and family. If a commute leaves you consistently stressed or short on sleep, it's too long for you.

Two things help:

• Fewer commuting days. If you work from home part of the week, a longer drive on the other days may be fine.
• A predictable route. A steady 35 minutes can feel better than a 20-minute drive that sometimes takes an hour.

Is a 20 mile commute to work too much?

It depends on the road and the time of day. Twenty miles of open highway can take 20 minutes. Twenty miles through stop-and-go traffic can take an hour.

Think in minutes, not miles. Then drive it.

The rush-hour test

Before you sign on any home:

1. Drive from the home to work at the time you'd actually leave.
2. Drive home at the time you'd actually leave work.
3. Do it on a Tuesday or Wednesday, not a Friday or a holiday week.
4. Try the backup route too.

Map apps estimate. Your own drive tells you the truth.

Is Hillsborough, NC close to Raleigh, NC?

It's closer to Durham and Chapel Hill than to Raleigh. From the Collins Ridge sales office, where I work, I measured these off-peak drives:

Add time at rush hour. If your work is in Raleigh, test the drive before you decide. If it's in Durham, Chapel Hill or at Duke or UNC, Hillsborough works well for many people.

Weighing the trade

Write down what the longer drive gets you: more space, a lower price, a newer home, a quieter street. Then write down what it costs you each week in time. If the list on the left still wins, the commute is reasonable for you.

Who's writing this. I sell new homes for D.R. Horton at Collins Ridge in Hillsborough, so I represent the builder, not you. This guide is general education from my years on job sites and in sales. It isn't legal, tax or lending advice, and it doesn't describe any specific home, price or incentive. Check the sources linked below, and talk with your own lender, agent or attorney before you decide.