Photo: Ser Amantio di Nicolao · CC BY-SA 3.0Springfield has higher household incomes than 90% of U.S. towns
About one in ten stay in Springfield for work; outside it, Washington is the main destination (13%, 12 miles). 8.9% of residents live below the poverty line, against 9.9% across Virginia. The two grades for Springfield are B+ for jobs and income and A+ for walkability.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
Jobs and commuting in Springfield: the gist
Springfield fills up on a workday
Springfield has 56,005 jobs, 4.5 for every working resident. On a workday afternoon about 75,000 people are in town, more than double the 31,000 who live here. Day and night ↓
Springfield draws workers from far and wide
The 56,005 jobs in Springfield are filled from a wide area. The ten biggest home towns of its workers supply 26%; the other 72% come from many towns beyond those. The commute map ↓
A lot of Springfield workers cross into Washington, D.C.
20% of Springfield workers work outside Virginia, the Census survey finds. In the commute data, Washington (13%) is one of the top workplaces. The commute map ↓
Written from the Census figures on this page. Commute flows, distances and jobs are Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs only (the self-employed aren’t counted); commute time and working from home are from the Census American Community Survey.
Inside Springfield’s Jobs & income grade
On income, poverty, unemployment and job access, Springfield is better than 73% of U.S. towns, #132 of 253 in Virginia. Job access by car holds Springfield’s grade up (ahead of 97% of U.S. towns); unemployment pulls it down (6.9%, U.S. 5.2%). It also does well on household income and the poverty rate.
A fairly firm grade. Within the Census margins of error for income, poverty and unemployment, Springfield could be anywhere from B to A.
A workday in Springfield: who goes, who stays, who comes
On a workday 10,987 residents head out to work, 1,342 work right here, and 54,663 people come in from elsewhere.
About 75,000 people are in Springfield on a workday afternoon, 140% more than live here.
4.5 jobs for every working resident, so more people commute in than out.
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.
Who travels to work in Springfield, and from where
Where Springfield clocks in
13% of workers
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.
In Springfield, services account for most jobs
56,005 jobs are based in Springfield.
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Springfield, 2013 → 2023: 54,771 → 56,005. 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 2023.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs Springfield’s own residents hold wherever they work.
The trip to work from Springfield: about 29 minutes
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 9.3 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of Springfield workers work from home, vs 18% across Virginia. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 12,170 commuters (the 18% who work from home are left out). Across Virginia: 83% drive alone, 3% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
The distance from Springfield to work
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2023.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
Springfield is more walkable than 96% of U.S. towns
A firm grade. EPA’s index has no published margin of error; the commuting share comes from a Census survey of 14,829 workers.
How TownRatings grades walkability →
Transit service (shown, not graded). Nearly all residents live within a ¾-mile walk of a bus or train stop, 24% within a quarter mile. At the weekday evening rush, about 37.5 trips an hour stop near the typical resident, among the most of the 9,825 U.S. towns with transit data.
Transit at the evening rush trips an hour stopping within ¼ mile of the typical resident, EPA 2020
Households without a car (shown, not graded). 6.9% of Springfield households have no vehicle (Virginia 6.1%, U.S. 8.4%). 9% of Springfield’s commuters take a bus or train.
How Springfield ranks: 596th of 1,334 U.S. towns of 22,000 to 42,000
| # | Town | People | Household income | Poverty | Unemployment | Work in town | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Springfield VA | 22,532 | $163K | 1.9% | 1.7% | 3% | A+ |
| 2 | Upper Dublin Township PA | 27,258 | $168K | 3.2% | 1.9% | 8% | A+ |
| 3 | Southlake TX | 31,175 | $250K | 1.5% | 2.7% | 11% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 10 | Oakton VA | 36,528 | $161K | 4.6% | 1.9% | 3% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 17 | Short Pump VA | 29,026 | $139K | 3.6% | 1.7% | 6% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 594 | Milford MA | 30,832 | $96K | 7.6% | 5.0% | 16% | B+ |
| 595 | Groveland FL | 25,526 | $100K | 3.6% | 4.5% | 5% | B+ |
| 596 | Springfield VA | 31,154 | $126K | 8.9% | 6.9% | 11% | B+ |
| 597 | Allen Park MI | 27,445 | $82K | 6.9% | 4.8% | 6% | B+ |
| 598 | Chamblee GA | 32,334 | $84K | 18.0% | 2.2% | 6% | B+ |
| … | |||||||
| 1,334 | Barstow CA | 24,804 | $53K | 23.1% | 11.9% | 17% | D− |
Census ACS 2020–24 (income, poverty, unemployment), Census LEHD (work in town), TownRatings Jobs & income grades. Each town links to its Work & commute page.
Ranked on the Jobs & income grade: the towns either side of Springfield, the top three, the last and three more from Virginia.
Springfield and the towns next door
The biggest share goes to Annandale (2%).
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Springfield workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield | – | B+ | A+ | 29 min | $125,999 |
| West Springfield | under 2% | A+ | A+ | 32 min | $163,115 |
| North Springfield | under 2% | A− | A− | 30 min | $130,400 |
| Lincolnia | under 2% | A− | A+ | 28 min | $121,639 |
| Franconia | under 2% | A+ | A+ | 31 min | $152,474 |
| Newington | under 2% | A+ | A | 30 min | $155,027 |
| Annandale | 2% | B+ | A+ | 27 min | $116,263 |
| Kings Park | under 2% | A+ | A | 32 min | $166,150 |
Same-state neighbors only. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
Darker towns draw more of Springfield’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 2023, 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 Springfield: questions
What is the median household income in Springfield?
$125,999 (±$4,858) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $93,170 across Virginia and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Springfield?
8.9%, against 9.9% across Virginia and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from Springfield?
29 minutes each way on average, against 27 across Virginia and 26 nationally. 18% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in Springfield work?
11% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Washington (13%, 12 mi), Arlington (9%, 8 mi), Alexandria (6%, 6 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Is Springfield walkable?
Springfield is more walkable than 96% of U.S. towns (Walkability A+): an EPA walkability index of 12.8 out of 20, and 11% of commuters walk, bike or take transit.
Can you get around Springfield without a car?
9% of commuters take transit and 7% of households have no car. 24% of residents live within a quarter mile of a stop.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Springfield, from the people who make the trip.
More of Springfield
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2023, 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. Walkability index, job access and transit service: U.S. EPA Smart Location Database. The two grades are our own summaries of these figures, not official ratings.