Photo: Original uploader was Mwanner at en.wikipedia Later version(s) were uploaded by XcepticZP at en.wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 3.0How Santa Clara works: jobs, income and commuting
Only 6% work in Santa Clara; the top destination outside it is Waverly (14%, 9 miles). 21% of workers have no commute at all (New York 15%). Working residents average 23 minutes each way, next to 33 for New York and 26 for the U.S.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2024, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
In and out of Santa Clara on a workday
On a workday 109 residents head out to work, 7 work right here, and 83 people come in from elsewhere.
About as many people by day as by night: the people who leave are replaced by the people who come in.
About as many jobs as working residents (0.78 per resident).
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2024, primary jobs.
The towns that employ Santa Clara’s residents
Where Santa Clara clocks in
6% of workersLines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
What work there is in Santa Clara: 90 jobs
90 jobs are based in Santa Clara.
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Santa Clara, 2014 → 2024: 72 → 90. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.
Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2024.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs Santa Clara’s own residents hold wherever they work.
Commuting from Santa Clara: about 23 minutes a trip
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 7.3 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of Santa Clara workers work from home, vs 15% across New York. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 129 commuters (the 21% who work from home are left out). Across New York: 57% drive alone, 25% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
Santa Clara’s commute, mile by mile
About 22% show a job over 50 miles away. Some of that is real, and some is employers that report every worker at a head office, so a few long commutes are on paper only.
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2024.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
The towns next door employ 22% of Santa Clara
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Santa Clara workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara | – | — | — | 23 min | $96,964 |
| Harrietstown | 5% | C | A− | 15 min | $66,460 |
| Brighton | 3% | C | B | 18 min | $65,750 |
| Waverly | 14% | — | — | 30 min | — |
| Duane | under 4% | — | — | 25 min | — |
| Tupper Lake | under 4% | C | B+ | 15 min | $65,433 |
| Brandon | under 4% | — | — | 36 min | — |
Same-state neighbors only. Waverly: the same community as the village of that name, graded once. Duane and Brandon: fewer than 1,000 residents, not graded. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
The biggest share goes to Waverly. Darker towns draw more of Santa Clara’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2024, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in Santa Clara: questions
What is the median household income in Santa Clara?
$96,964 (±$30,560) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $85,974 across New York and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Santa Clara?
7.9%, against 14.0% across New York and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from Santa Clara?
23 minutes each way on average, against 33 across New York and 26 nationally. 21% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in Santa Clara work?
6% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Waverly (14%, 9 mi), Potsdam (7%, 35 mi), Canton (6%, 42 mi) (Census LEHD 2024).
Can you get around Santa Clara without a car?
0% of commuters take transit and 0% of households have no car. EPA has no transit data for this county.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Santa Clara, from the people who make the trip.
More of Santa Clara
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2024, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer.