New Commuting Zone delineation for the U.S. based on 2020 data.

Area of Science:

• Regional Economics
• Economic Geography
• Urban Studies

Background:

• Commuting zones, initially developed in the late 1980s, delineate functional economic regions across the U.S.
• These zones link rural areas to their nearest economic centers, aiding regional analysis.
• Previous delineations were based on older data and did not account for recent societal shifts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create updated commuting zones for the United States using 2020 data and geographies.
• To incorporate quality measures for comparing current delineations with historical data.
• To address the impact of changing work and residence patterns, particularly post-COVID-19, on regional definitions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized hierarchical clustering on a proportional flows matrix of county-to-county commuting data.
• Replicated methodologies from earlier commuting zone delineations where possible.
• Incorporated 2020 geographic and commuting flow data for the United States.

Main Results:

• Successfully generated new commuting zone definitions based on 2020 data.
• Introduced quality measures to enhance comparability across different time periods.
• Provided updated functional economic region delineations reflecting contemporary commuting patterns.

Conclusions:

• The new commuting zones offer a more accurate representation of U.S. economic geography.
• These updated zones are crucial for analyzing regional economic trends in light of recent societal changes.
• The methodology ensures consistency while adapting to evolving work and living arrangements.