Thanks for Visiting!

Register for free to get the full story.

Sign Up
Already have a Placer.ai account? Log In

America’s Evolving Work Patterns: A Deep-Dive into New York and Chicago

by 
Arielle Cizma & Lila Margalit
 on 
April 10, 2023
America’s Evolving Work Patterns: A Deep-Dive into New York and Chicago

The rise of hybrid and remote work has left its mark on communities across the nation, impacting everything from commuting habits to domestic migration trends. 

But these shifts aren’t affecting all workers equally. In this post, we dove into the data to explore how employees from different income groups in the downtowns of two major American cities – New York and Chicago – are experiencing today’s evolving workplace. 

Manhattan: More Flexibility for Higher-Income Workers

During the second half of 2022, visitors from affluent areas accounted for a clear majority of employee visits to Midtown Manhattan. 

 Drilling down further into the data, the vast majority of Midtown employees from census block groups (CBGs) with median household incomes (HHIs) under $75K lived between 1-10 miles away from Midtown. Higher-HHI workers tended to be more spread out, and were more likely to live either very close to the office or much further away. Interestingly, a significant share of affluent employees also appear to have been super commuters, or to have expanded their distance as a result of a mid-pandemic move, with some residing more than 100 miles away from Midtown.

In addition, the data suggests that for higher-HHI employees, distance from the office was more strongly correlated with visit frequency. The relatively large proportion of employees living 10-30 miles from Midtown in higher-income CBG accounted for a disproportionately small share of overall visits to the area – indicating that these workers came into the office less often. For lower-income workers living in the outer boroughs or suburbs, the differences between visitors and overall visits were less pronounced. 

These patterns may reflect the greater flexibility afforded to higher-income or more senior employees, but may also indicate that flexible work is most benefiting those most affected by the cost-benefit analysis of the commute. They are more likely to be able to afford housing in close proximity to Midtown, or to have access to hybrid work arrangements that let them decamp to distant suburbs – or even different states – without the grind of a daily commute. 

Chicago Sees Similar Trends

Downtown Chicago, where workers from wealthier neighborhoods also accounted for most employee visits in the second half of 2022, experienced largely similar trends. 

In Chicago, too, the bulk of downtown employees from CBGs with median household incomes under $75K lived 1-10 miles away from the area. And like in Midtown Manhattan, residents of higher-income areas working in downtown Chicago were more spread out and more likely than less affluent employees to live right near the office or further away.

The Windy City saw a larger share of lower-HHI employees living 10-30 miles from downtown than did Manhattan. But like in the Big Apple, the gap between visitors and overall visits was larger for wealthier workers living 10-30 miles away from downtown than for less affluent employees, suggesting that they came in less often. Higher-HHI workers living 1-10 miles away also appear to have come in less frequently.

Looking Ahead

The rise of hybrid and remote work has changed not only how we work, but also where we live. And data on actual employee behavior – including breakdowns by income, commuting distance, and more – can help both cities and businesses better adjust to the “new normal” and continue to plan ahead. Will more affluent employees continue to move out of major cities like New York and Chicago, and relocate to the suburbs or even to different regions altogether? Will the gaps in visitation patterns between higher- and lower-income workers widen or narrow? 

Visit Placer.ai to find out.

Get 3 brand & industry
breakdowns every week

Subscribe to the newsletter

Great! Prepare your inbox for data-driven insights...
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Get a Demo

Please enter your first name
Please enter your last name
Please provide a valid email
Please enter your email
Please enter company name

Thanks for reaching out!

One of our experts will be in touch soon

Try Placer.ai Free
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Northwestern U.S. Grocery Dive
Return of the Lunch: Salad Chains Are Thriving
Retail Media Networks – Off the Beaten Track
Bet Your Bottom Dollar: Discount and Dollar Stores Drive Foot Traffic
Ulta & Lululemon: Discretionary Spending On The Up
The Score After Q1: Sporting Goods Chains
Who Uses NYC Airports: Biting Into The Big Apple’s Main Transport Hubs
Off Price: Strength in The Face of Retail Challenges
Visits Improve for Home Improvement
Walmart, Target & Wholesalers in Q1 2023 – The Return of Mission-Driven Shopping?
Department Store Roundup: Q1 2023
Placer.ai Office Index: April 2023 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index, April 2023 – A Rebound on the Horizon?
How Will Bed Bath & Beyond’s Bankruptcy Impact the Retail Space?
Buffet Restaurants: Filling Up on Foot Traffic
Thrift Stores: Vintage Visits Drive New Age in Apparel
The Windy City: A Hub of Post-Pandemic Opportunity
Diving into Dining Traffic - Q1 2023
Bring On The Joe
A Dollar (or more) For Your Thoughts: Five Below and pOpshelf
Dining Out With The Cheesecake Factory
Retail Foot Traffic Recap – March 2023
Digging Into 2023: McDonald’s and Chipotle Update
Placer.ai Office Index: March 2023 Recap
How Did Key Retail Categories Perform in Q1 2023?
Northeastern USA Grocery Dive
Movie Theaters Storylines for 2023
Ollie's Bargain Outlet: Discounters are Evolving
Leveraging Brick-and-Mortar Retail in 2023
America’s Evolving Work Patterns: A Deep-Dive into New York and Chicago
Placer.ai Mall Index March 2023
Tuning Into Record Stores
Five Franchises To Watch in 2023
What’s Next For Domestic Tourism?
It’s Showtime! Movie Theaters in the Spotlight
5 Limited Time Offers (LTOs) Driving Restaurant Traffic
Department Store Deep-Dive: Belk
Regional Grocery Chains Staying Ahead of the Competition
Five Chains that Rightsized for Success
Unlocking the Potential of Offline Retail Media Networks
Dining Out With Darden
What’s in Store for Self-Storage?
Nike & lululemon Update: Strong Performance Amid Expansion Plans
Many Ways to Win: Midwest Grocery Deep Dive
Retail, Reinvented: The Rise of the Pop-Up Shop
Navigating a New Normal in Business Travel & Commutes
Placer.ai Office Index: February 2023 Recap
Retail Categories Staying Strong in Volatile Environment
Ulta Beauty: Poised for Success into 2023
Placer.ai Mall Index February 2023: Reasons for Continued Optimism
Catching Up With DICK’s & Hibbett
The Miami-Dade Arena: An Advertising Slam Dunk
Car Washes Revving Up Visits
Tuesday Morning and Sunrises in Home Furnishing
Dining & Valentine’s Day Recap
2023: The Year of the Discount Store
Aldi’s Success Highlights Growing Demand for Value Groceries
5 Retail & Service Categories Holding onto Pandemic Gains in 2023
Visitor Insights from Super Bowl 2023
2023 First Look: Home Improvement Update
How Are Target, Walmart, and Wholesale Clubs Faring in 2023?
Department Store Deep-Dive: Nordstrom
Off-Price: Taking Off in Uncertain Times
Checking in On Middle-Class Hubs
Who Attends the Super Bowl?
Placer.ai Office Index: January 2023 Recap
Focusing On Fitness: Q4 and January Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index: January 2023 – Returning Mall Normalcy?
Location Intelligence Insights Into Concert Attendance
Winning Dining Strategies for 2023
In-N-Out Burger: What to Expect as the Brand Moves East
Location Intelligence Breakdown: Coffee Caps-Off 2022
Digitally Native Brands Lean Into Brick & Mortar
Washington, D.C. Population Changes & Migration Trends
A Location Intelligence Perspective on Macy’s Rightsizing
Amazon-Powered Shopping: The Future of Brick-and-Mortar Grocery?
Cold Weather, Hot Visits: Diving into Winter Resorts
Wawa and 7-Eleven: Leaning Into the “Slurpee Effect”
2022 and Beyond: Catching Up With McDonald’s & Chipotle
Let’s Have Some Fun! Going Out Is In
Placer.ai’s Q4 2022 Quarterly Index
Placer.ai Adds Industry Executives to Leadership Team To Drive Company's Next Phase of Growth
5 Emerging Retail Formats: 2023’s Brick-and-Mortar Evolution
Grocery Update: Zooming in on the Lone Star State
2022 Office Recap: The Year of the TGIF Work Week
What Lies Ahead for Brick-and-Mortar Luxury in 2023
Placer.ai Mall Indexes: December 2022 Recap
Looking Back on 2022’s Holiday Shopping Season
Post-Pandemic Migration Trends in New York
Top Retailers for 2023
The Live Sports Advertising Opportunity
Domestic Migration to the Mountain States: Small Shifts with Big Implications
New Year, New Food: 5 Dining Trends For 2023
Announcing Placer.ai’s COVID RECOVERY DASHBOARD
This is Why Shop-in-Shops Are Everywhere
Super Saturday 2022 Recap
The San Francisco Shift
Grocery Year-End Update: Publix in the Spotlight
Three Ways Retailers Can Think Small to Increase Store Impact
Offline Beauty Is on an Upswing