How far do you commute to your job? More importantly, is it worth it?


According to the U.S. Census Bureau, you're an "extreme commuter" if your daily journey to work takes more than 90 minutes each way. In the most recent estimate, the government said there are more than 3.4 million extreme commuters and their numbers are on the increase.

Not surprisingly, the greatest concentration of extreme commuters is found in the New York, Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area, and Los Angeles metropolitan areas and their numbers are much greater than the national average.

However, the government says the ranks of extreme commuters is also growing beyond the cities best known for the high cost of living and extreme measures people take to work there. San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and Seattle are all metro markets that are among those areas becoming part of the extreme commute jungle.

Psychologists say extreme commuting is a promise that is often unfulfilled. New York Times economics reporter Annie Lowrey said it leads to "loneliness, obesity, neck pain, divorce and stress."

Economists call it "the commuting paradox." Most people travel long distances with the idea that they'll accept the burden for something better, be it a more affordable house or better salary. They presume the trade-off is worth the agony. But studies show that commuters are on average much less satisfied with their quality of life than noncommuters.

According to Bruno S. Frey and Alois Stutzer of the University of Zurich's Institute for Empirical Research in Economics, "People usually overestimate the value of the things they'll obtain by commuting -- more money, more material goods, more prestige -- and underestimate the benefit of what they are losing: social connections, hobbies, and health. "Commuting is a stress that doesn't pay off," says Stutzer.

If you're an extreme commuter, how do you make it work?