Puerto Rico

State

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Population

3.2M

4.26% 1-year decline

Median Age

42.9

Poverty Rate

44.5%

Median Household Income

$20,296

4.93% 1-year growth

Median Property Value

$110,800

0.911% 1-year growth

Number of Employees

901,930

1.74% 1-year decline

About

In 2018, Puerto Rico had a population of 3.2M people with a median age of 42.9 and a median household income of $20,296. Between 2017 and 2018 the population of Puerto Rico declined from 3.34M to 3.2M, a -4.26% decrease and its median household income grew from $19,343 to $20,296, a 4.93% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Puerto Rico are White (Hispanic) (64.1%), Other (Hispanic) (17.2%), Black or African American (Hispanic) (12.4%), Two+ (Hispanic) (4.76%), and White (Non-Hispanic) (0.964%). NaNM% of the people in Puerto Rico speak a non-English language, and N/A% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Puerto Rico are Instituto de Banca y Comercio Inc (6,110 degrees awarded in 2017), Universidad del Turabo (3,171 degrees), and National University College (2,836 degrees).

The median property value in Puerto Rico is $110,800, and the homeownership rate is 67.3%. Most people in Puerto Rico commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 29.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Puerto Rico is 2 cars per household.

Puerto Rico borders .

Photo by Breezy Baldwin

United States

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

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

Puerto Rico is home to a population of 3.2M people, from which N/A% are citizens. As of N/A, N/A% of Puerto Rico residents were born outside of the country (N/A people).

In 2018, there were 3.73 times more White (Hispanic) residents (2.05M people) in Puerto Rico than any other race or ethnicity. There were 549k Other (Hispanic) and 397k Black or African American (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Puerto Rico

White (Hispanic)
2.05M ± 21.9k
Other (Hispanic)
549k ± 16.9k
Black or African American (Hispanic)
397k ± 17.1k

98.7%

Hispanic Population

3.15M people

98.7% of the people in Puerto Rico are hispanic (3.15M people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Puerto Rico as a share of the total population.

Age by Nativity

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.2

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 1.4

In 2018, the median age of all people in Puerto Rico was 42.9. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 43, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 53. But people in Puerto Rico are getting getting older. In 2017, the average age of all Puerto Rico residents was 41.

Global Diversity

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 Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico was N/A%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been N/A.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
25,940 ± 2,133
Gulf War (2001-)
13,847 ± 2,291
Korea
12,088 ± 1,930

Puerto Rico has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.87 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

Median household income in Puerto Rico is $20,296. In 2018, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico employs 902k people. The largest industries in Puerto Rico are Elementary & secondary schools (71,227 people), Restaurants & Food Services (69,815 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (45,942 people), and the highest paying industries are Petroleum & petroleum products merchant wholesalers ($100,148), Savings institutions, including credit unions ($62,782), and Computer Systems Design ($61,475).

Wages

Median Household Income

$20,296

2018 value

± $426

4.93%

1 Year Growth

± 2.82%

Households in Puerto Rico have a median annual income of $20,296, 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 $19,343 in 2017, which represents a 4.93% annual growth.

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

Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

$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

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

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 Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

44.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Puerto Rico (1.5M out of 3.36M 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 35 - 44 and then Females 55 - 64.

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
1,481,880 ± 7,491
White
966,810 ± 6,689
Other
280,709 ± 4,138

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

Occupations

Employment by Occupations

902k

2018 Value

-1.74%

1 Year decline

± -1.74%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Puerto Rico declined at a rate of -1.74%, from 918k employees to 902k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Puerto Rico, are Cashiers (46,782 people), Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive (44,504 people), and Janitors & building cleaners (32,089 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Puerto Rico.

Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Puerto Rico, by number of employees, are Cashiers (46,782 people), Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive (44,504 people), and Janitors & building cleaners (32,089 people).

Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Puerto Rico has an unusually high number of residents working as Shoe & leather workers (12.5 times higher than expected), Pharmacy aides (10.9 times), and Agricultural & food scientists (6.91 times).

Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Puerto Rico, by average salary, are Dentists ($114,180), Firstline supervisors of correctional officers ($97,933), and Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers ($94,718).

Industries

Employment by Industries

902k

2018 Value

-1.74%

1 Year decline

± -1.74%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Puerto Rico declined at a rate of -1.74%, from 918k employees to 902k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Puerto Rico, are Elementary & secondary schools (71,227 people), Restaurants & Food Services (69,815 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (45,942 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Puerto Rico, though some of these residents may live in Puerto Rico and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Most Common

The most common industries in Puerto Rico, by number of employees, are Elementary & secondary schools (71,227 people), Restaurants & Food Services (69,815 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (45,942 people).

Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Puerto Rico has an unusually high number of Tobacco manufacturing (11 times higher than expected), Other general government & support (7.37 times), and Pharmaceutical & medicine manufacturing (7.11 times) industries.

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Puerto Rico, by average salary, are Petroleum & petroleum products merchant wholesalers ($100,148), Savings institutions, including credit unions ($62,782), and Computer Systems Design ($61,475).

Education

In 2017, universities in Puerto Rico awarded 57,171 degrees. The student population of Puerto Rico is skewed towards women, with 96,153 male students and 132,157 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Puerto Rico are Hispanic or Latino (56,504 and 99%), followed by Unknown (318 and 0.557%), White (126 and 0.221%), and Black or African American (50 and 0.0876%).

The largest universities in Puerto Rico by number of degrees awarded are Instituto de Banca y Comercio Inc (6,110 and 10.7%), Universidad del Turabo (3,171 and 5.55%), and National University College (2,836 and 4.96%).

The most popular majors in Puerto Rico are Registered Nursing (5,351 and 9.36%), General Cosmetology (1,675 and 2.93%), and General Business Administration & Management (1,367 and 2.39%).

The median tuition costs in Puerto Rico are $4,800 for private four year colleges, and $1,938 and $3,943 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
3,537 degree-majorss awarded
General Biological Sciences
1,007 degree-majorss awarded
Accounting
1,007 degree-majorss awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Puerto Rico was Registered Nursing with 3,537 degree-majorss awarded.

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

Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Instituto de Banca y Comercio Inc
6,110 degrees awarded
Universidad del Turabo
3,171 degrees awarded
National University College
2,836 degrees awarded

$1,938

Median In-State Public

$4,800

Median Private

In 2017, the Puerto Rico institution with the largest number of graduating students was Instituto de Banca y Comercio Inc with 6,110 degrees awarded.

Student Gender for Common Institutions

23,154

Degrees Awarded to Men

34,017

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2017, 23,154 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Puerto Rico, which is 0.681 times less than the 34,017 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in Puerto Rico by degrees awarded.

Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino
56,504 degrees awarded
Unknown
318 degrees awarded
White
126 degrees awarded

In 2017 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Puerto Rico were to Hispanic or Latino students. These 56,504 degrees mean that there were 178 times more Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Unknown, with 318 degrees awarded.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Puerto Rico was $110,800 in 2018, which is 0.482 times smaller than the national average of $229,700. Between 2017 and 2018 the median property value increased from $109,800 to $110,800, a 0.911% increase. The homeownership rate in Puerto Rico is 67.3%, which is higher than the national average of 63.9%. People in Puerto Rico have an average commute time of 29.6 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in Puerto Rico is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property Value

$110,800

2018 Median

± $1,053

$109,800

2017 Median

± $1,476

In 2018, the median property value in Puerto Rico grew to to $110,800 from the previous year's value of $109,800.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico 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.

$20,296

Median Household Income

± $426

1.18M

Number of Households

± 17,695

In 2018, the median household income of the 1.18M households in Puerto Rico grew to $20,296 from the previous year's value of $19,343.

The following chart displays the households in Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Puerto Rico the largest share of households pay taxes in the None range.

Rent vs Own

67.3%

2018 Homeownership

67.3%

2017 Homeownership

In 2018, 67.3% of the housing units in Puerto Rico were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 67.3%.

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

Commute Time

29.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Puerto Rico have a longer commute time (29.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.7 minutes). Additionally, 4.25% of the workforce in Puerto Rico have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

Drove Alone
84.2%
Carpooled
7.94%
Worked At Home
2.28%

In 2018, the most common method of travel for workers in Puerto Rico was Drove Alone (84.2%), followed by those who Carpooled (7.94%) and those who Worked At Home (2.28%).

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 Puerto Rico distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Puerto Rico have 2 cars, followed by 1 car.

Health

93.1% of the population of Puerto Rico has health coverage, with 23% on employee plans, 44.4% on Medicaid, 12.8% on Medicare, 11.8% on non-group plans, and 1.07% on military or VA plans.

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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

6.87%

Uninsured

23%

Employer Coverage

44.4%

Medicaid

12.8%

Medicare

11.8%

Non-Group

1.07%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in Puerto Rico grew by 11.7% from 6.15% to 6.87%.

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

Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

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N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

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The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in false by county over multiple years.

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