City of Adelaide

Local workers - Method of travel to work - All industries

Within the City of Adelaide, there is a higher proportion of local All industries workers using public transport to get to work than the South Australia workforce.

This data reveals the main modes of transport used by local workers in a particular industry to get to work. Workforce transport data for the City of Adelaide is very useful in transport planning as it informs decision-makers about the effectiveness and availability of public transport.

There are a number of reasons why people use different Modes of Transport to get to work including:

  • The availability of affordable and effective public transport options between place of residence and place of work (For instance, industries located near railway stations are likely to have higher public transport use than those located away from main public transport routes);
  • The number of motor vehicles available from within a household; and
  • The travel distance to work, which for example, can allow people to walk or bicycle to their place of employment.

Method of Travel to Work data should be viewed in conjunction with Workers place of residence and resident place of work for a clearer picture of where people come from to work in the City of Adelaide, and Employment locations for the Destination Zones they work in and how they arrive there.

Data source

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – Census 2016 & 2021 – by place of work

Current industry:
Current benchmark:
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Local workers method of travel to work
City of Adelaide - All industries20212016Change
Main method of travelNumber%. South Australia%Number%. South Australia%2016 - 2021
Car, as driver50,66838.964.647,64540.566.2+3,023
Car, as passenger6,0534.64.46,8595.84.5-806
Train6,1804.71.010,5128.91.9-4,332
Bus19,04414.63.824,02820.44.7-4,984
Ferry700.10.0340.00.0+36
Tram3,3142.50.42,4602.10.4+854
Truck630.00.5730.10.6-10
Motorbike/Motor scooter8980.70.41,0040.90.5-106
Bicycle3,4342.60.93,4572.91.0-23
Taxi/Other4780.40.32080.20.2+270
Other - multiple methods4440.30.62,4622.11.4-2,018
Walked only3,9663.02.43,8263.32.7+140
Worked at home20,74015.99.41,3411.14.4+19,399
Did not go to work14,55911.210.712,93111.010.7+1,628
Not stated4810.40.57670.70.9-286
Total 130,392100.0100.0117,607100.0100.0+12,785

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions)

Please refer to specific data notes for more information
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Dominant groups

In 2021, there were 28,538 people who caught public transport to work (train, bus, tram or ferry) in the City of Adelaide, compared with 57,682 who drove in private vehicles (car – as driver, car – as passenger, motorbike, or truck).

Analysis of the method of travel to work in the City of Adelaide in 2021 compared to the South Australia workforce within the City of Adelaide shows that 21.9% used public transport, while 44.2% used a private vehicle, compared with 5.3% and 69.8% respectively in South Australia.

The major differences between the method of travel to work of the workforce in the City of Adelaide and the South Australia workforce were:

  • A smaller percentage of local workers who travelled by car, as driver (38.9% compared to 64.6%)
  • A larger percentage of local workers who travelled by bus (14.6% compared to 3.8%)
  • A larger percentage of local workers who worked at home (15.9% compared to 9.4%)
  • A larger percentage of local workers who travelled by train (4.7% compared to 1.0%)

Emerging groups

The largest changes in the method of travel to work of the workforce in the City of Adelaide between2016 and 2021 were:

  • Worked at home (+19,399 local workers)
  • Bus (-4,984 local workers)
  • Train (-4,332 local workers)
  • Car, as driver (+3,023 local workers)

City of Adelaide

economic profile