Work & commute · Independence

Work & commute in Independence, KS

About one in 3 of Independence’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Independence (9%), Coffeyville (8%) and Neodesha (6%). Half commute less than 10 miles.

Census LEHD commute flows, 2023 Census ACS commute times

Work in town

39%

1,217 of 3,159 working residents

Typical commute

10 mi

Half commute less than this, straight-line

Average commute time

17 min

One way, from the Census survey

Work from home

of workers, from the Census survey

Coming and going

Who leaves, who stays, who comes in

On a workday 1,942 Independence residents head out of town to work, 1,217 work right here, and 2,707 people come in from elsewhere to fill jobs in Independence.

1,942live here, work elsewhere

1,217live and work here

2,707work here, live elsewhere

Leave for workStayCome in

The map

Where Independence goes to work

Independence (in town)right here

39%1,217

Independence4.2 mi away

9%290

Coffeyville14.3 mi away

8%255

Neodesha13.3 mi away

6%182

Parsons25.7 mi away

4%117

Wichita94.9 mi away

3%85

Pittsburg57.3 mi away

2%77

Chanute33.2 mi away

1%45

Overland Park127.3 mi away

1%43

Topeka124.5 mi away

1%41

Everywhere elseother towns and states

26%807

Lines run between town centers; a thicker line means more commuters. The top 10 towns each way.

How far

How far Independence commutes

Straight-line distance from home to work, for every working resident. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.

50%

18%

25%

50%Under 10 mi

18%10–24 mi

7%25–50 mi

25%Over 50 mi

Job hub or commuter town?

Independence is balanced between jobs and homes

1.24jobs per working resident

Balanced

About as many jobs as working residents (1.24 per resident).

The jobs

What the jobs in Independence are

3,924 jobs are based in Independence. Here is what they are, next to the jobs Independence’s own residents hold wherever they work.

Jobs based in Independence

3,924 jobs

Goods (factories, building, farms)14%

Trade, transport & utilities21%

Services (health, schools, offices…)66%

$1,250 a month or less22%

$1,251–$3,333 a month39%

Over $3,333 a month40%

Jobs Independence residents hold

3,159 working residents

Goods (factories, building, farms)26%

Trade, transport & utilities16%

Services (health, schools, offices…)57%

$1,250 a month or less17%

$1,251–$3,333 a month35%

Over $3,333 a month48%

+6%

Jobs based in Independence, 2013 → 2023: 3,687 → 3,924. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.

About these numbers

How to read this page

Every worker, home to workThe Census links each worker’s home block to their main job’s block, for jobs covered by unemployment insurance. That’s most jobs, but not the self-employed.

Where the employer saysA job counts where the employer reports it. Some big employers report one address for many sites, which can make a few commutes look longer than they are.

Two surveysFlows, distances and jobs: LEHD 2023. Commute time and working from home: the Census American Community Survey.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2023, primary jobs; American Community Survey 5-year estimates.