Vega Baja, PR

Census Place

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2021 Population

23,527

4.08% 1-year growth

2021 Median Age

42.8

2.88% 1-year increase

2021 Poverty Rate

44.4%

5.36% 1-year decrease

2021 Median Household Income

$19,795

3.16% 1-year growth

2021 Median Property Value

$106,000

1.63% 1-year growth

2021 Employed Population

6,907

8.21% 1-year growth

About

In 2021, Vega Baja, PR had a population of 23.5k people with a median age of 42.8 and a median household income of $19,795. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of Vega Baja, PR grew from 22,604 to 23,527, a 4.08% increase and its median household income grew from $19,188 to $19,795, a 3.16% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Vega Baja, PR are White (Hispanic) (54.1%), Two+ (Hispanic) (26.1%), Other (Hispanic) (12.5%), Black or African American (Hispanic) (5.3%), and White (Non-Hispanic) (1.74%).

None of the households in Vega Baja, PR reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

The largest universities in Vega Baja, PR are Caribbean University-Vega Baja (31 degrees awarded in 2021).

In 2021, the median property value in Vega Baja, PR was $106,000, and the homeownership rate was 73.7%.

Most people in Vega Baja, PR drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 29 minutes. The average car ownership in Vega Baja, PR was 2 cars per household.

United States Puerto Rico Vega Baja Municipio, PR San Juan-Carolina-Caguas, PR Carr 137-Carr 149 PUMA, PR

Population & Diversity

In 2021, there were 2.07 times more White (Hispanic) residents (12.7k people) in Vega Baja, PR than any other race or ethnicity. There were 6.14k Two+ (Hispanic) and 2.93k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Vega Baja, PR

White (Hispanic)
12.7k ± 1.4k
Two+ (Hispanic)
6.14k ± 1.2k
Other (Hispanic)
2.93k ± 730

98%

Hispanic Population

23.1k people

98% of the people in Vega Baja, PR are hispanic (23.1k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Vega Baja, PR as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Puerto Rico.

Most Common Origin

Dominican Republic
53,018 ± 5,608 people
Cuba
10,661 ± 2,531 people
Colombia
3,951 ± 1,542 people

In 2021, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Puerto Rico was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 53,018 Puerto Rico residents, followed by Cuba with 10,661 and Colombia with 3,951.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
204 ± 101
Korea
111 ± 74
Gulf War (2001-)
31 ± 52

Vega Baja, PR has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.84 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Vega Baja, PR employs 6.91k people. The largest industries in Vega Baja, PR are Manufacturing (972 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (935 people), and Retail Trade (830 people), and the highest paying industries are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($48,375), Information ($45,347), and Finance & Insurance ($29,514).

Males in Puerto Rico have an average income that is 1.12 times higher than the average income of females, which is $32,120. The income inequality in Puerto Rico (measured using the Gini index) is 0.456, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

6.91k

2021 Value

± 686

8.21%

1 Year growth

± 13.1%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Vega Baja, PR grew at a rate of 8.21%, from 6.38k employees to 6.91k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Vega Baja, PR, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,219 people), Sales & Related Occupations (800 people), and Production Occupations (565 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Vega Baja, PR.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

6.91k

2021 Value

± 686

8.21%

1 Year growth

± 13.1%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Vega Baja, PR grew at a rate of 8.21%, from 6.38k employees to 6.91k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Vega Baja, PR, are Manufacturing (972 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (935 people), and Retail Trade (830 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Vega Baja, PR, though some of these residents may live in Vega Baja, PR and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$20,361

Median earning men ± $1,988

$19,302

Median earning women ± $2,939

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Information ($45,347), Public Administration ($30,667), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($28,700).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Manufacturing ($29,679), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($28,295), and Public Administration ($26,910).

Education

In 2021, universities in Vega Baja, PR awarded 31 degrees. The student population of Vega Baja, PR in 2021 is skewed towards women, with 35 male students and 99 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Vega Baja, PR are Hispanic or Latino (31 and 100%), followed by Asian (0 and 0%), Black or African American (0 and 0%), and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders (0 and 0%).

The largest universities in Vega Baja, PR by number of degrees awarded are Caribbean University-Vega Baja (31 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Vega Baja, PR are Other Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants (10 and 32.3%), Criminal Justice - Police Science (5 and 16.1%), and Social Work (5 and 16.1%).

The median tuition cost in Vega Baja, PR for private four year colleges is $4,656.

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2021 there were 134 students enrolled in Vega Baja, PR, 26.1% men and 73.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 134 records, of which 73.9% were women and 26.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Social Work
5 degrees awarded
Other Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants
5 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
4 degrees awarded

In 2021, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Vega Baja, PR was Social Work with 5 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Vega Baja, PR according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Caribbean University-Vega Baja

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

31 degrees awarded

In 2021, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Caribbean University-Vega Baja with 31 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2021, 5 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Vega Baja, PR, which is 0.192 times less than the 26 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2021 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 31 degrees mean that there were Infinityk times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Asian, with 0 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($4,656) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2021.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($840) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2021.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,100) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Puerto Rico.

Measure

In 2021, 1.88% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.59% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Puerto Rico.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2021 were High School or Equivalent (759k), Bachelors Degree (501k), and Primary Education (485k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Vega Baja, PR was $106,000 in 2021, which is 0.433 times smaller than the national average of $244,900. Between 2020 and 2021 the median property value increased from $104,300 to $106,000, a 1.63% increase. The homeownership rate in Vega Baja, PR is 73.7%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.6%.

People in Vega Baja, PR have an average commute time of 29 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Vega Baja, PR is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Vega Baja, PR is $19,795. In 2021, the place with the highest median household income in Vega Baja, PR was Census Tract 5604.01 with a value of $36,484, followed by Census Tract 5607.01 and Census Tract 5604.02, with respective values of $33,547 and $28,690.

Housing

Property

$106,000

Median Property Value 2021

±$4,690

$6,556

Median Property Taxes

±$510

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Vega Baja, PR the largest share of households pay taxes in the None range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Vega Baja, PR compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

73.7%

Homeownership

2021

74.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2021

In 2021, 73.7% of the housing units in Vega Baja, PR were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 74.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Vega Baja, PR compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 5604.01
Census Tract 5607.01
Census Tract 5604.02

In 2021, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Vega Baja, PR was Census Tract 5604.01 with a value of $36,484, followed by Census Tract 5607.01 and Census Tract 5604.02, with respective values of $33,547 and $28,690.

The following map shows all of the places in Vega Baja, PR colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$19,795

Median Household Income

± $1,824

8.89k

Number of Households

± 716

In 2021, the median household income of the 8.89k households in Vega Baja, PR grew to $19,795 from the previous year's value of $19,188.

The following chart displays the households in Vega Baja, PR distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Vega Baja, PR is from Puerto Rico.

0.456

2021 Wage GINI in Puerto Rico

0.451

2020 Wage GINI in Puerto Rico

In 2021, the income inequality in Puerto Rico was 0.456 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.25% growth from 2020 to 2021, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Puerto Rico was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Puerto Rico in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Puerto Rico across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2021

Drove Alone (95.1%)
Carpooled (1.91%)
Walked (1.75%)

In 2021, 95.1% of workers in Vega Baja, PR drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (1.91%) and those who walked to work (1.75%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

29 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Vega Baja, PR have a longer commute time (29 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 2.97% of the workforce in Vega Baja, PR have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Vega Baja, PR compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Vega Baja, PR distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Vega Baja, PR have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

44.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Vega Baja, PR (10.4k out of 23.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.6%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 65 - 74, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 75+.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Vega Baja, PR is Hispanic, followed by White and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

89.1% of the population of Vega Baja, PR has health coverage, with 17.3% on employee plans, 48.5% on Medicaid, 10.6% on Medicare, 11.9% on non-group plans, and 0.682% on military or VA plans.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21% under 18 years, 19.2% between 18 and 34 years, 37.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.9% were men and 53.1% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

10.9%

Uninsured

17.3%

Employer Coverage

48.5%

Medicaid

10.6%

Medicare

11.9%

Non-Group

0.682%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in Vega Baja, PR grew by 3.32% from 10.6% to 10.9%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Vega Baja, PR changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.