Commuter Flows
Commuting patterns within the Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (WAMPO) region reflect the interconnected nature of local labor markets, which extend beyond individual city boundaries. Workers regularly travel between communities for employment, resulting in both inflows and outflows that highlight the economic relationships across the region. While Wichita serves as the primary employment center, surrounding communities contribute to the regional economy through a mix of residential growth and localized employment opportunities. These patterns illustrate how communities function together as part of a broader regional system rather than as isolated jurisdictions.
Across the region, suburban and smaller communities play an important role in shaping daily travel patterns. Many cities serve as residential centers for workers who commute to larger employment hubs, while others continue to expand their own job base through commercial and industrial development. This balance between housing and employment influences commuting flows, travel demand, and corridor usage throughout the region. Understanding these city-level dynamics provides valuable insight for transportation planning.
WAMPO Commuter Flows Dashboard
This dashboard presents total commuter flows across the 22 cities within the WAMPO region. The data are derived from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES). By selecting a city, users can view:
-
Inflow: Workers employed in the selected city who live elsewhere
-
Internal flow: Workers who both live and work within the selected city
-
Outflow: Residents of the selected city who work in other cities
-
City-to-City Flows: Estimated numbers of workers commuting between the selected city and each other city in the region
Data Source
This dashboard utilizes data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES). LODES provides estimates of where workers live and where they are employed, allowing for the analysis of commuting flows between geographic areas such as cities.
LODES data are developed through the Census Bureau’s Local Employment Dynamics (LED) partnership, in which participating states submit quarterly wage and employment records derived primarily from unemployment insurance programs. These data cover the vast majority of wage and salary employment in the United States, including most private-sector and state and local government jobs. In contrast to survey-based products such as the American Community Survey (ACS), LODES relies on administrative records to estimate employment locations and commuting patterns.
LODES datasets are released annually, typically in November or December, with the data vintage representing conditions approximately two years prior to release. As a result, analyses often reflect a gap between the data year and the year of publication. Additional technical details and methodology comparisons are available from the U.S. Census Bureau:
For additional access to and exploration of these data, the U.S. Census Bureau provides the OnTheMap application, an interactive web-based tool that utilizes LEHD LODES data to visualize workforce characteristics, job locations, and commuting patterns across geographic areas. Users can generate maps, reports, and custom analyses directly through the platform: https://onthemap.ces.census.gov/