Cleveland has 0.1 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
The average commute takes 32 minutes each way, against 22 across Wisconsin and 26 nationally. 44 jobs are based in Cleveland, and 389 of its residents work somewhere. Hardly any stay in Cleveland for work; outside it, Chippewa Falls is the main destination (16%, 16 miles).
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2024, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
Where Cleveland stands out on work
Cleveland is a place people come home to
There are 44 jobs based in Cleveland, about one for every ten working residents, so almost everyone works somewhere else. On a workday Cleveland has about 550 people in it, 39% fewer than live here. Day and night ↓
Cleveland workers spend longer getting to work
The average trip takes 32 minutes each way, against 22 across Wisconsin. Over a year that’s about 245 hours of commuting, 77 more than the state’s typical worker. Time on the road ↓
Written from the Census figures on this page. Commute flows, distances and jobs are Census LEHD 2024, primary jobs only (the self-employed aren’t counted); commute time and working from home are from the Census American Community Survey; with 389 working residents, small shifts move the shares.
The daily flow of workers through Cleveland
On a workday 388 residents head out to work, 1 work right here, and 43 people come in from elsewhere.
About 550 people are in Cleveland on a workday afternoon, 39% fewer than live here.
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2024, primary jobs.
Cleveland’s commute takes about 32 minutes
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 10.3 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of Cleveland workers work from home, vs 13% across Wisconsin. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 353 commuters (the 15% who work from home are left out). Across Wisconsin: 86% drive alone, 1% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
Out of Cleveland to work: where people go
Where Cleveland clocks in
16% 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.
Goods jobs make up 32% of work in Cleveland
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Cleveland, 2014 → 2024: 95 → 44. 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 Cleveland’s own residents hold wherever they work.
Short hops and long hauls from Cleveland
About 17% 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.
Bordering towns draw 10% of Cleveland’s workers
The biggest share goes to Cornell (6%).
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Cleveland workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | – | — | — | 32 min | $72,000 |
| Estella | under 3% | — | — | 26 min | — |
| Bloomer | 2% | C | C− | 28 min | $78,690 |
| Eagle Point | 2% | A | C− | 22 min | $110,654 |
| Lake Holcombe | under 3% | D | C− | 26 min | $62,772 |
| Birch Creek | under 3% | — | — | 32 min | — |
| Cornell | 6% | D | B | 27 min | $55,192 |
Same-state neighbors only. Estella and Birch Creek: fewer than 1,000 residents, not graded. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
Darker towns draw more of Cleveland’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 Cleveland: questions
What is the median household income in Cleveland?
$72,000 (±$17,653) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $77,485 across Wisconsin and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Cleveland?
9.8%, against 10.6% across Wisconsin and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from Cleveland?
32 minutes each way on average, against 22 across Wisconsin and 26 nationally. 15% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in Cleveland work?
<1% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Chippewa Falls (16%, 16 mi), Eau Claire (16%, 26 mi), Bloomer (8%, 11 mi) (Census LEHD 2024).
Can you get around Cleveland without a car?
0% of commuters take transit and 7% of households have no car. EPA has no transit data for this county.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Cleveland, from the people who make the trip.
More of Cleveland
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.