Ponce, PR

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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Population

288,127

3.98% 1-year decline

Median Age

41.9

Poverty Rate

51.1%

Median Household Income

$17,607

9.3% 1-year growth

Median Property Value

$95,100

6.26% 1-year growth

Number of Employees

80,978

7.34% 1-year growth

About

In 2018, Ponce, PR had a population of 288k people with a median age of 41.9 and a median household income of $17,607. Between 2017 and 2018 the population of Ponce, PR declined from 300,059 to 288,127, a -3.98% decrease and its median household income grew from $16,109 to $17,607, a 9.3% increase.

N/A NaNk% of the people in Ponce, PR speak a non-English language, and N/A% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Ponce, PR are Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce (1,276 degrees awarded in 2017), Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce (938 degrees), and Ponce Paramedical College Inc (748 degrees).

The median property value in Ponce, PR is $95,100, and the homeownership rate is 69.4%. Most people in Ponce, PR commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 24.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Ponce, PR is 2 cars per household.

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

About the photo: Early Morning Ponce, PR

Photo by Heidi

United States Puerto Rico

Civics

are the senators currently representing the state of . In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

is currently represented by 0 member in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

US Senators from

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for .

Senator from N/AN/A

N/AN/A
N/A
N/AN/A
N/A

are the senators currently representing .

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representatives from

is currently represented by 0 member in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the member for have changed over time starting in 2008.

Diversity

Ponce, PR is home to a population of 288k people, from which N/A% are citizens. As of N/A, N/A% of Ponce, PR residents were born outside of the country (N/A people).

In N/A, there were N/A times more N/A residents (N/A people) in Ponce, PR than any other race or ethnicity. There were N/A N/A and N/A N/A residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Race and Ethnicity

N/A%

Hispanic Population

N/A people

In N/A, there were N/A times more N/A residents (N/A people) in Ponce, PR than any other race or ethnicity. There were N/A N/A and N/A N/A residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

N/A% of the people in Ponce, PR are hispanic (N/A people).

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

Age by Nativity

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.8

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 3.3

In 2018, the median age of all people in Ponce, PR was 41.9. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 42, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 47. But people in Ponce, PR are getting getting older. In 2017, the average age of all Ponce, PR residents was 41.

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
50,364 ± 5,466 people
Cuba
8,742 ± 2,292 people
Colombia
3,110 ± 1,368 people

In 2018, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Puerto Rico was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 50,364 Puerto Rico residents, followed by Cuba with 8,742 and Colombia with 3,110.

Citizenship

N/A%

N/A Citizenship

As of N/A, N/A% of Ponce, PR residents were US citizens, which is approximately the same as the national average of 93.2%. In N/A, the percentage of US citizens in Ponce, PR was N/A%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been N/A.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Ponce, PR compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

false
0 ± 0
false
0 ± 0
false
0 ± 0

Ponce, PR has a large population of military personnel who served in false, N/A times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

Median household income in Ponce, PR is $17,607. In 2018, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Ponce, PR was Guaynabo Municipio, PR with a value of $36,309, followed by Trujillo Alto Municipio, PR and Caguas Municipio, PR, with respective values of $31,078 and $27,714.

Males in Puerto Rico have an average income that is 1.1 times higher than the average income of females, which is $29,606. The income inequality in Puerto Rico (measured using the Gini index) is 0.442, which is lower than than the national average.

The economy of Ponce, PR employs 81k people. The largest industries in Ponce, PR are Educational Services (12,084 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (11,738 people), and Retail Trade (10,331 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($35,455), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($25,486), and Public Administration ($22,813).

Wages

Median Household Income

$17,607

2018 value

± $1,085

9.3%

1 Year Growth

± 8.31%

Households in Ponce, PR have a median annual income of $17,607, which is less than the median annual income of $61,937 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $16,109 in 2017, which represents a 9.3% annual growth.

The following chart shows how the median household income in Ponce, PR compares to that of its neighboring and parent geographies.

Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

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

$32,540

Average Male Salary in Puerto Rico

± $1,296

$29,606

Average Female Salary in Puerto Rico

± $1,197

In 2018, full-time male employees in Puerto Rico made 1.1 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in Puerto Rico by number of full-time employees.

Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

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

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity in Puerto Rico

Asian
$35,901 ± $22,901
White
$26,879 ± $944
American Indian
$25,891 ± $5,727

In 2018 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Puerto Rico workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.34 times more than White workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity in Puerto Rico.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in Puerto Rico by number of full-time employees.

Wage Distribution

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

0.442

2018 Wage GINI in Puerto Rico

0.454

2017 Wage GINI in Puerto Rico

In 2018, the income inequality in Puerto Rico was 0.442 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 2.77% decline from 2017 to 2018, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Puerto Rico was lower than than the national average of 0.479. 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.

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2018, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Ponce, PR was Guaynabo Municipio, PR with a value of $36,309, followed by Trujillo Alto Municipio, PR and Caguas Municipio, PR, with respective values of $31,078 and $27,714.

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

Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

51.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Ponce, PR (155k out of 303k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 13.1%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 45 - 54.

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.

Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

Hispanic
154,269 ± 2,076
White
105,315 ± 1,937
Other
23,069 ± 1,085

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

Occupations

Employment by Occupations

81k

2018 Value

± 4,550

7.34%

1 Year growth

± 8.28%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Ponce, PR grew at a rate of 7.34%, from 75.4k employees to 81k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Ponce, PR, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (9,278 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (9,044 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (8,253 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Ponce, PR.

Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Ponce, PR, by number of employees, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (9,278 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (9,044 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (8,253 people).

Most Specialized

Compared to other MSAs, Ponce, PR has an unusually high number of residents working as Farming, Fishing, & Forestry Occupations (3.64 times higher than expected), Fire Fighting & Prevention, & Other Protective Service Workers Including Supervisors (3.29 times), and Law Enforcement Workers Including Supervisors (3.05 times).

Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Ponce, PR, by median earnings, are Life, Physical, & Social Science Occupations ($41,479), Architecture & Engineering Occupations ($40,488), and Computer, Engineering, & Science Occupations ($40,156).

Industries

Employment by Industries

81k

2018 Value

± 4,550

7.34%

1 Year growth

± 8.28%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Ponce, PR grew at a rate of 7.34%, from 75.4k employees to 81k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Ponce, PR, are Educational Services (12,084 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (11,738 people), and Retail Trade (10,331 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.

Most Common

The most common industries in Ponce, PR, by number of employees, are Educational Services (12,084 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (11,738 people), and Retail Trade (10,331 people).

Most Specialized

Compared to other MSAs, Ponce, PR has an unusually high number of Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (2.49 times higher than expected), Public Administration (2.27 times), and Educational Services (1.62 times) industries.

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Ponce, PR, by median earnings, are Utilities ($35,455), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($25,486), and Public Administration ($22,813).

Education

In 2017, universities in Ponce, PR awarded 5,519 degrees. The student population of Ponce, PR is skewed towards women, with 8,426 male students and 12,879 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Ponce, PR are Hispanic or Latino (5,483 and 99.5%), followed by Unknown (18 and 0.327%), White (7 and 0.127%), and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders (1 and 0.0182%).

The largest universities in Ponce, PR by number of degrees awarded are Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce (1,276 and 23.1%), Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce (938 and 17%), and Ponce Paramedical College Inc (748 and 13.6%).

The most popular majors in Ponce, PR are Registered Nursing (385 and 6.98%), Other Electrical Engineering Technology (254 and 4.6%), and Barbering (169 and 3.06%).

The median tuition costs in Ponce, PR are $4,644 for private four year colleges, and $1,895 and $3,917 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
190 degree-majorss awarded
General Biomedical Sciences
111 degree-majorss awarded
General Psychology
92 degree-majorss awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Ponce, PR was Registered Nursing with 190 degree-majorss awarded.

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

Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce
1,276 degrees awarded
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce
938 degrees awarded
Ponce Paramedical College Inc
748 degrees awarded

$1,895

Median In-State Public

$4,644

Median Private

In 2017, the Ponce, PR institution with the largest number of graduating students was Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce with 1,276 degrees awarded.

Student Gender for Common Institutions

2,355

Degrees Awarded to Men

3,164

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2017, 2,355 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Ponce, PR, which is 0.744 times less than the 3,164 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in Ponce, PR by degrees awarded.

Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino
5,483 degrees awarded
Unknown
18 degrees awarded
White
7 degrees awarded

In 2017 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Ponce, PR were to Hispanic or Latino students. These 5,483 degrees mean that there were 305 times more Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Unknown, with 18 degrees awarded.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Ponce, PR was $95,100 in 2018, which is 0.414 times smaller than the national average of $229,700. Between 2017 and 2018 the median property value increased from $89,500 to $95,100, a 6.26% increase. The homeownership rate in Ponce, PR is 69.4%, which is higher than the national average of 63.9%. People in Ponce, PR have an average commute time of 24.4 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in Ponce, PR is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property Value

$95,100

2018 Median

± $1,967

$89,500

2017 Median

± $2,775

In 2018, the median property value in Ponce, PR grew to to $95,100 from the previous year's value of $89,500.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Ponce, PR compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Ponce, PR the largest share of households have a property value in the $100k - $125k range.

Household Income

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

$17,607

Median Household Income

± $1,085

108k

Number of Households

± 4,835

In 2018, the median household income of the 108k households in Ponce, PR grew to $17,607 from the previous year's value of $16,109.

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.

Property Taxes

None

Average Range

This chart shows the households in Ponce, PR 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.

Rent vs Own

69.4%

2018 Homeownership

68.9%

2017 Homeownership

In 2018, 69.4% of the housing units in Ponce, PR were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 68.9%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is higher than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Ponce, PR compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Commute Time

24.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Ponce, PR have a shorter commute time (24.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.7 minutes). Additionally, 3.29% 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.

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

Drove Alone
87.1%
Carpooled
7.08%
Walked
1.72%

In 2018, the most common method of travel for workers in Ponce, PR was Drove Alone (87.1%), followed by those who Carpooled (7.08%) and those who Walked (1.72%).

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.

Transportation

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, followed by 1 car.

Health

94.2% of the population of Ponce, PR has health coverage, with 19.5% on employee plans, 54.7% on Medicaid, 11.6% on Medicare, 7.17% on non-group plans, and 1.24% on military or VA plans.

Comparing across all counties in the state, undefined, undefined, and undefined have the highest prevalence of diabetes (N/A). Additionally, undefined, undefined, and undefined have the highest prevalence of adult obesity (N/A)

Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

West Virginia
8.26% of the population affected
Arkansas
8.13% of the population affected
New Hampshire
7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

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.

Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

Mississippi
19.2% of adults
Texas
17.9% of adults
Louisiana
17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

Health Care Coverage

5.76%

Uninsured

19.5%

Employer Coverage

54.7%

Medicaid

11.6%

Medicare

7.17%

Non-Group

1.24%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in Ponce, PR grew by 43.6% from 4.01% to 5.76%.

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.