New numbers suggest Lawrence’s commuter population is growing rapidly

Tucked between Topeka and Kansas City, Lawrence long has been known as a town with plenty of commuters. But the city never has been able to say this before: If you live in Lawrence and have a job, it is now more likely than not that your job is located outside of Lawrence.

New federal and state data show that 53% of all Lawrence residents who have a job commute outside the city to get to that job. That number, which is for 2017, is up from 42% at the beginning of the decade and 36% from 2002, which is as far back as this particular Census Bureau program tracks data.

Lawrence is not the commuting capital of Kansas. Many small towns in the state have more than 80% of their employed residents commuting to larger towns for work. But among large Kansas cities, Lawrence does seem to have the fastest growing population of commuters.