Ponce, PR

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2023 Population

273,739

22.8% 1-year growth

2023 Median Age

43.8

1.62% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

48%

2.91% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$20,646

3.92% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$103,100

1.06% 1-year decline

2023 Employed Population

80,161

26.7% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Ponce, PR had a population of 274k people with a median age of 43.8 and a median household income of $20,646. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Ponce, PR grew from 222,831 to 273,739, a 22.8% increase and its median household income grew from $19,867 to $20,646, a 3.92% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Ponce, PR are White (Hispanic) (45.1%), Two+ (Hispanic) (39.6%), Other (Hispanic) (10%), Black or African American (Hispanic) (4.54%), and White (Non-Hispanic) (0.351%).

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 (1,178 degrees awarded in 2022), Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce (675 degrees), and University of Puerto Rico at Ponce (379 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Ponce, PR was $103,100, and the homeownership rate was 71.4%.

Most people in Ponce, PR drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Ponce, PR was 2 cars per household.

Ponce, PR borders Adjuntas, PR, Aguadilla-Isabela, PR, Coamo, PR, Jayuya, PR, San Germán, PR, San Juan-Carolina-Caguas, PR, and Santa Isabel, PR.

About the photo: Early Morning Ponce, PR

Photo by Heidi

United States Puerto Rico

Population & Diversity

In 2023, there were 1.14 times more White (Hispanic) residents (123k people) in Ponce, PR than any other race or ethnicity. There were 109k Two+ (Hispanic) and 27.4k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Ponce, PR

White (Hispanic)
123k ± 2.59k
Two+ (Hispanic)
109k ± 3.27k
Other (Hispanic)
27.4k ± 2.24k

99.4%

Hispanic Population

272k people

99.4% of the people in Ponce, PR are hispanic (272k people).

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

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Dominican Republic
51,093 ± 5,506 people
Cuba
9,583 ± 2,400 people
Colombia
4,347 ± 1,618 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Puerto Rico was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 51,093 Puerto Rico residents, followed by Cuba with 9,583 and Colombia with 4,347.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,671 ± 274
Gulf War (2001-)
1,040 ± 250
Gulf War (1990s)
449 ± 129

Ponce, PR has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.61 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Ponce, PR employs 80.2k people. The largest industries in Ponce, PR are Retail Trade (11,401 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (10,980 people), and Educational Services (8,918 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($40,697), Finance & Insurance ($33,916), and Public Administration ($30,508).

Males in Puerto Rico have an average income that is 1.12 times higher than the average income of females, which is $34,367. The income inequality in Puerto Rico (measured using the Gini index) is 0.457, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

80.2k

2023 Value

± 2,292

26.7%

1 Year growth

± 3.36%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Ponce, PR grew at a rate of 26.7%, from 63.3k employees to 80.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Ponce, PR, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (10,921 people), Sales & Related Occupations (8,627 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (6,034 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Ponce, 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

80.2k

2023 Value

± 2,292

26.7%

1 Year growth

± 3.36%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Ponce, PR grew at a rate of 26.7%, from 63.3k employees to 80.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Ponce, PR, are Retail Trade (11,401 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (10,980 people), and Educational Services (8,918 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.

Median Earnings by Industry

$19,853

Median earning men ± $585

$19,010

Median earning women ± $673

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Information ($44,817), Public Administration ($33,454), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($27,251).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($30,704), Public Administration ($26,901), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($24,518).

Establishments by Size

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Education

In 2022, universities in Ponce, PR awarded 3,710 degrees. The student population of Ponce, PR in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 5,570 male students and 9,325 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Ponce, PR are Hispanic or Latino (3,690 and 99.5%), followed by Unknown (8 and 0.216%), White (6 and 0.162%), and Asian (2 and 0.0539%).

The largest universities in Ponce, PR by number of degrees awarded are Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce (1,178 and 31.8%), Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce (675 and 18.2%), and University of Puerto Rico at Ponce (379 and 10.2%).

The most popular majors in Ponce, PR are Electrician (210 and 5.66%), General Biomedical Sciences (205 and 5.53%), and General Psychology (185 and 4.99%).

The median tuition costs in Ponce, PR are $5,160 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 2022 in Ponce, PR, the percentage of applicants admitted was 74.1%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 49%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 14,895 (37.4% men and 62.6% 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.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2022 there were 14,895 students enrolled in Ponce, PR, 37.4% men and 62.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 14,713 records, of which 62.7% were women and 37.3% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Psychology
123 degrees awarded
General Biomedical Sciences
204 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
147 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Ponce, PR was General Psychology with 123 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce
1,178 degrees awarded
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce
675 degrees awarded
University of Puerto Rico at Ponce
379 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce with 1,178 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 1,475 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Ponce, PR, which is 0.66 times less than the 2,235 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 3,690 degrees mean that there were 461 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Unknown, with 8 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

Universities

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($8,551) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,600) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, NaNN% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while NaNN% 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 .

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were N/A.

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 Ponce, PR was $103,100 in 2023, which is 0.34 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $104,200 to $103,100, a 1.06% decrease. The homeownership rate in Ponce, PR is 71.4%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Ponce, PR have an average commute time of 24.7 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.

Median household income in Ponce, PR is $20,646. In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Ponce, PR was Guaynabo Municipio, PR with a value of $46,048, followed by Gurabo Municipio, PR and Trujillo Alto Municipio, PR, with respective values of $39,532 and $38,773.

Housing

Property

$103,100

Median Property Value 2023

±$1,479

$73,356

Median Property Taxes

±$1,532

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.

Rent vs Own

71.4%

Homeownership

2023

73.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 71.4% of the housing units in Ponce, PR were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 71.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Ponce, 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)

In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Ponce, PR was Guaynabo Municipio, PR with a value of $46,048, followed by Gurabo Municipio, PR and Trujillo Alto Municipio, PR, with respective values of $39,532 and $38,773.

The following map shows all of the counties in Ponce, 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.

$20,646

Median Household Income

± $652

103k

Number of Households

± 2,224

In 2023, the median household income of the 103k households in Ponce, PR grew to $20,646 from the previous year's value of $19,867.

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.

Wage Distribution

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

0.457

2022 Wage GINI in Puerto Rico

0.456

2021 Wage GINI in Puerto Rico

In 2022, the income inequality in Puerto Rico was 0.457 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.209% growth from 2021 to 2022, 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 2023

Drove Alone (88.1%)
Carpooled (4.56%)
Worked At Home (3.7%)

In 2023, 88.1% of workers in Ponce, PR drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (4.56%) and those who worked at home (3.7%).

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

24.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Ponce, PR have a shorter commute time (24.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 3.32% 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.

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.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

48% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Ponce, PR (130k out of 270k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Ponce, 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

95.4% of the population of Ponce, PR has health coverage, with 21% on employee plans, 52.4% on Medicaid, 11.6% on Medicare, 9.38% on non-group plans, and 0.923% on military or VA plans.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.3% under 18 years, 20.8% between 18 and 34 years, 36.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 23.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.6% were men and 53.4% were women.

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

Uninsured People

4.61%

Uninsured

21%

Employer Coverage

52.4%

Medicaid

11.6%

Medicare

9.38%

Non-Group

0.923%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Ponce, PR declined by 9.5% from 5.1% to 4.61%.

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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