Ponce, PR

Census Place

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2024 Population
107,805
2024 Median Age
44.7
1.13% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
49.6%
1.66% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$19,470
4.4% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$113,100
2.91% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
31,645
2.43% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Ponce, 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 Ponce, PR are Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce (1,004 degrees awarded in 2023), Instituto Educativo Premier (347 degrees), and Escuela Tecnica de Electricidad (295 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Ponce, PR was $113,100, and the homeownership rate was 65.4%.

Most people in Ponce, PR drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Ponce, PR was 2 cars per household.

Photo by Marco
United StatesPuerto RicoPonce Municipio, PRPonce, PRPonce PUMA, PR

Population & Diversity

In 2024, there were 1.92 times more Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents (56.9k people) in Ponce, PR than any other race or ethnicity. There were 29.7k White (Hispanic) and 13.5k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Ponce, PR
  1. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    56.9k ± 2.1k
  2. White (Hispanic)
    29.7k ± 1.81k
  3. Other (Hispanic)
    13.5k ± 1.44k
99.2%
Hispanic Population
107k people

In 2024, there were 1.92 times more Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents (56.9k people) in Ponce, PR than any other race or ethnicity. There were 29.7k White (Hispanic) and 13.5k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

99.2% of the people in Ponce, PR are hispanic (107k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Ponce, PR as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Puerto Rico.
Most Common Origin
  1. Dominican Republic
    50,106 ± 5,453 people
  2. Cuba
    9,621 ± 2,405 people
  3. Colombia
    4,277 ± 1,605 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Puerto Rico was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 50,106 Puerto Rico residents, followed by Cuba with 9,621 and Colombia with 4,277.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    571 ± 122
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    187 ± 94
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    137 ± 66

Ponce, PR has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.05 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Ponce, PR.

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Economy

The economy of Ponce, PR employs 31.6k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Ponce, PR were Retail Trade (5,039 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,863 people), and Educational Services (3,700 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($76,512), Information ($44,136), and Finance & Insurance ($36,250).

Employment

Occupations

31.6k
2024 Value
± 1,433
2.43%
1 Year growth
± 6.14%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Ponce, PR grew at a rate of 2.43%, from 30.9k employees to 31.6k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Ponce, PR, are Sales & Related Occupations (4,296 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (4,285 people), and Management Occupations (2,272 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Ponce, PR.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Puerto Rico (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

31.6k
2024 Value
± 1,433
2.43%
1 Year growth
± 6.14%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Ponce, PR grew at a rate of 2.43%, from 30.9k employees to 31.6k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Ponce, PR, are Retail Trade (5,039 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,863 people), and Educational Services (3,700 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Ponce, PR, though some of these residents may live in Ponce, PR and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$20,976
Median earning men ± $1,249
$19,827
Median earning women ± $1,610

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($45,266), Public Administration ($36,319), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($34,941).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($35,362), Public Administration ($28,366), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($25,957).

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Education

In 2023, universities in Ponce, PR awarded 2,707 degrees. The student population of Ponce, PR in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 4,366 male students and 6,649 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Ponce, PR are Hispanic or Latino (2,690 and 99.5%), Unknown (11 and 0.407%), White (2 and 0.074%), and Asian (1 and 0.037%).

The largest universities in Ponce, PR by number of degrees awarded are Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce (1,004 and 37.1%), Instituto Educativo Premier (347 and 12.8%), and Escuela Tecnica de Electricidad (295 and 10.9%).

The most popular majors in Ponce, PR are Electrician (242 and 8.94%), General Biomedical Sciences (160 and 5.91%), and Barbering (125 and 4.62%).

The median tuition costs in Ponce, PR are $4,953 for private four year colleges, and $5,024 and $5,024 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Ponce, PR, the percentage of applicants admitted was 78.9%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 39%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 11,015 (39.6% men and 60.4% women).

The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 11,015 students enrolled in Ponce, PR, 39.6% men and 60.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 10,789 records, of which 60.5% were women and 39.5% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. Liberal Arts & Sciences
    52 degrees awarded
  2. General Biomedical Sciences
    155 degrees awarded
  3. Registered Nursing
    124 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Ponce, PR was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 52 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce
    1,004 degrees awarded
  2. Instituto Educativo Premier
    347 degrees awarded
  3. Escuela Tecnica de Electricidad
    295 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce with 1,004 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 1,232 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Ponce, PR, which is 0.835 times less than the 1,475 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 2,690 degrees mean that there were 245 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Unknown, with 11 degrees awarded.

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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.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($8,840) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,664) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,168) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Ponce, PR was $113,100 in 2024, which is 0.34 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $109,900 to $113,100, a 2.91% increase. The homeownership rate in Ponce, PR is 65.4%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Ponce, PR have an average commute time of 23.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Ponce, PR is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$113,100
Median Property Value 2024
±$2,234
$30,762
Median Property Taxes
±$1,070

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 Ponce, PR the largest share of households pay taxes in the None range.

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

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Rent vs Own

65.4%
Homeownership
2024
74%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 65.4% of the housing units in Ponce, PR were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 66%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$19,470
Median Household Income
± $736
47k
Number of Households
± 1,409

In 2024, the median household income of the 47k households in Ponce, PR grew to $19,470 from the previous year's value of $18,650.

The following chart displays the households in Ponce, 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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Ponce, PR is from Puerto Rico.
0.46
2023 Wage GINI in Puerto Rico
0.457
2022 Wage GINI in Puerto Rico

In 2023, the income inequality in Puerto Rico was 0.46 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.548% growth from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Puerto Rico was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (83.6%)
  2. Carpooled (7.12%)
  3. Worked At Home (6.2%)

In 2024, 83.6% of workers in Ponce, PR drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (7.12%) and those who worked at home (6.2%).

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.

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Commute Time

23.5 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Ponce, PR have a shorter commute time (23.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 4% of the workforce in Ponce, PR have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

49.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Ponce, PR (53.2k out of 107k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 75+.

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

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.

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Health

96% of the population of Ponce, PR has health coverage, with 18% on employee plans, 54.6% on Medicaid, 11.3% on Medicare, 11.2% on non-group plans, and 0.825% on military or VA plans.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.2% were men and 53.8% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.7% under 18 years, 21.2% between 18 and 34 years, 34% between 35 and 64 years, and 26.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.2% were men and 53.8% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

4.03%
Uninsured
18%
Employer Coverage
54.6%
Medicaid
11.3%
Medicare
11.2%
Non-Group
0.825%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Ponce, PR declined by 6.84% from 4.32% to 4.03%.

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

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