Employment Inflow and Outflow

Understanding workers’ commuting patterns is essential to evaluating Beavercreek’s role in the regional economy and identifying future opportunities for economic development and land use planning. Analyzing job inflow and outflow reveals how many individuals travel into the city for work, how many residents commute elsewhere for employment, and how many both live and work in Beavercreek. These patterns provide insight into the city’s employment base, its regional economic integration, and the transportation demands of its workforce.

As of the most recent data, 23,268 people commute into Beavercreek for work, while 16,483 residents commute out of the city to work elsewhere. Only 3,087 individuals live and work in Beavercreek, indicating that much of the workforce originates from outside the city. The significant influx of residents is likely driven by jobs in retail trade, public administration, and the service sector, which accounts for approximately 32% of the employment sector within Beavercreek but may not fully align with the professional profiles of its residents.

As illustrated in Figure 1-17, the employment outflow map highlights where Beavercreek residents are traveling for work. The data shows a wide dispersal of commuting destinations, with many traveling to nearby employment hubs such as Dayton, Fairborn, Kettering, and Centerville. Despite this outward commuting pattern, the average travel time is relatively low at 19.5 minutes, reflecting the city’s strong regional transportation connectivity and proximity to major job centers. These patterns highlight Beavercreek’s role as a commuter-sending community for specific employment sectors and as a regional destination for retail, public, and service-sector jobs.

These commuting dynamics have direct implications for economic development planning. The high rate of out-commuting among residents may indicate a mismatch between the types of jobs available locally and the skills or career paths of the resident population. Targeted strategies to diversify the local employment base, support professional job growth, and better align housing, transit, and job centers can help strengthen Beavercreek’s role as both a residential community and a sustainable employment destination.

Additionally, because Beavercreek does not levy a municipal income tax, the city does not directly benefit from the wages of non-resident workers who commute into the city for employment. As a result, reliance on other revenue sources—such as property taxes—makes it even more important to plan for employment strategic uses that generate economic value and long-term fiscal sustainability. Targeted efforts to diversify the employment base, attract professional and high-wage industries, and better align land use, housing, and job centers can help strengthen Beavercreek’s position as both a desirable place to live and a resilient employment destination.

Source: OHM Advisors as part of the City of Beavercreek's Plan Beavercreek project.