Puerto Rico

State

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2020 Population

3.26M

1.89% 1-year decline

2020 Median Age

42.4

1.68% 1-year increase

2020 Poverty Rate

43.4%

1.46% 1-year decrease

2020 Median Household Income

$21,058

2.53% 1-year growth

2020 Median Property Value

$111,200

0.269% 1-year decline

2020 Employed Population

929,492

0.115% 1-year decline

About

In 2020, Puerto Rico had a population of 3.26M people with a median age of 42.4 and a median household income of $21,058. Between 2019 and 2020 the population of Puerto Rico declined from 3.32M to 3.26M, a −1.89% decrease and its median household income grew from $20,539 to $21,058, a 2.53% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Puerto Rico are White (Hispanic) (59%), Other (Hispanic) (18.6%), Black or African American (Hispanic) (11.2%), Two+ (Hispanic) (9.62%), and White (Non-Hispanic) (0.974%).

94.6% of the households in Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico are NUC University (9,632 degrees awarded in 2020), Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus (2,717 degrees), and University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras (2,535 degrees).

In 2020, the median property value in Puerto Rico was $111,200, and the homeownership rate was 67.8%.

Most people in Puerto Rico drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 29.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Puerto Rico was 2 cars per household.

Puerto Rico borders .

Photo by Breezy Baldwin

Population & Diversity

In 2020, there were 3.18 times more White (Hispanic) residents (1.92M people) in Puerto Rico than any other race or ethnicity. There were 605k Other (Hispanic) and 365k Black or African American (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary langauge in households in Puerto Rico are Spanish (2,952,046 households), Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (1,275 households), and French (Incl. Cajun) (1,067 households).

Population & Diversity

Population by Location

Sex

RACE/ETHNICITY

The 3 PUMAS with the highest resident population

Carr 30 PUMA, PR
159,205
San Juan Municipio (Noroeste) PUMA, PR
150,862
Ponce & Jayuya Municipios PUMA, PR
149,944

In 2020 there were 3,255,643 residents in Puerto Rico.

The Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMA) with the highest resident population were Carr 2-Carr 111 PUMA, PR (149,549 people), Carr 2 (Noroeste) PUMA, PR (115,778 people), and Carr 2-Carr 100 PUMA, PR (123,359 people).

The following map shows all of the states in Puerto Rico colored by the resident population.

Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY

1,709,050

Women

52.5%

1,546,593

Men

47.5%

The resident population of United States in 2020 was 3,255,643 inhabitants, with 47.5% men, and 52.5% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in the United States.

With the upper buttons you can add a filter by race.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Puerto Rico

White (Hispanic)
1.92M ± 11.3k
Other (Hispanic)
605k ± 8.9k
Black or African American (Hispanic)
365k ± 8.06k

98.7%

Hispanic Population

3.21M people

98.7% of the people in Puerto Rico are hispanic (3.21M people).

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

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Dominican Republic
51,432 ± 5,524 people
Cuba
10,896 ± 2,558 people
Colombia
3,744 ± 1,501 people

In 2020, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Puerto Rico was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 51,432 Puerto Rico residents, followed by Cuba with 10,896 and Colombia with 3,744.

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
2,952,046 households (94.5%)
Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)
1,275 households (0.0408%)
French (Incl. Cajun)
1,067 households (0.0341%)

94.6% of the households in Puerto Rico reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is higher than the national average of 21.5%. 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.

In 2020, the most common non-English language spoken in households in Puerto Rico was Spanish. 94.5% of the households in Puerto Rico reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
24,804 ± 1,044
Korea
11,766 ± 723
Gulf War (2001-)
11,425 ± 881

Puerto Rico has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.11 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Puerto Rico employs 929k people. The largest industries in Puerto Rico are Elementary & secondary schools (70,153 people), Restaurants & Food Services (66,055 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (48,647 people), and the highest paying industries are Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals ($65,059), Computer & peripheral equipment manufacturing ($65,058), and Securities, commodities, funds, trusts & other financial investments ($62,105).

Males in Puerto Rico have an average income that is 1.11 times higher than the average income of females, which is $31,123. The income inequality in Puerto Rico (measured using the Gini index) is 0.451, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

458,087

Women

49.3%

471,405

Men

50.7%

The workforce of Puerto Rico in 2020 was 929,492 people, with 49.3% woman, and 50.7% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in Puerto Rico.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

Workforce and Wage by Location

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

In 2020 there were 929,492 people working in Puerto Rico. The Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMA) that concentrated the largest workforce were Carr 2-Carr 111 PUMA, PR (38,236 people), Carr 2 (Noroeste) PUMA, PR (29,220 people), and Carr 2-Carr 100 PUMA, PR (29,330 people).

The following map shows all of the PUMAs in Puerto Rico colored by workforce or average wage.

With the upper buttons you can see the yearly change and add a filter by race.

Occupations

929k

2020 Value

−0.115%

1 Year decline

± −0.115%

From 2019 to 2020, employment in Puerto Rico declined at a rate of −0.115%, from 931k employees to 929k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Puerto Rico, are Cashiers (43,799 people), Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive (42,689 people), and Janitors & building cleaners (30,345 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Puerto Rico.

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

929k

2020 Value

−0.115%

1 Year decline

± −0.115%

From 2019 to 2020, employment in Puerto Rico declined at a rate of −0.115%, from 931k employees to 929k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Puerto Rico, are Elementary & secondary schools (70,153 people), Restaurants & Food Services (66,055 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (48,647 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.

Median Earnings by Industry

$18,441

Median earning men ± $262

$18,452

Median earning women ± $227

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2020 are Information ($28,527), Public Administration ($28,045), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($27,693).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2020 are Public Administration ($25,999), Information ($25,944), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($25,257).

Education

In 2020, universities in Puerto Rico awarded 49,505 degrees. The student population of Puerto Rico in 2020 is skewed towards women, with 77,119 male students and 117,470 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Puerto Rico are Hispanic or Latino (47,529 and 96.1%), followed by Unknown (809 and 1.64%), Black or African American (434 and 0.878%), and White (423 and 0.855%).

The largest universities in Puerto Rico by number of degrees awarded are NUC University (9,632 and 19.5%), Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus (2,717 and 5.49%), and University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras (2,535 and 5.12%).

The most popular majors in Puerto Rico are Registered Nursing (4,404 and 8.9%), Accounting (1,240 and 2.5%), and General Cosmetology (1,199 and 2.42%).

The median tuition costs in Puerto Rico are $4,920 for private four year colleges, and $3,968 and $4,216 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2020 in Puerto Rico, the percentage of applicants admitted was 58.1%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 71.8%. The number of students enrolled in 2020 was 194,589 (39.6% men and 60.4% women).

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

The line chart below shows the annual evolution of the indicator by gender.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2020 there were 194,589 students enrolled in Puerto Rico, 39.6% men and 60.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 185,312 records, of which 60.2% were women and 39.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
3,355 degree-majors awarded
General Biological Sciences
1,130 degree-majors awarded
Accounting
900 degree-majors awarded

In 2020, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Puerto Rico was Registered Nursing with 3,355 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

NUC University
9,632 degrees awarded
Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus
2,717 degrees awarded
University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras
2,535 degrees awarded

In 2020, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was NUC University with 9,632 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2020, 19,539 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Puerto Rico, which is 0.652 times less than the 29,966 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2020 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 47,529 degrees mean that there were 58.8 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Unknown, with 809 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 not-for-profit, 2-year ($7,678) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2020.

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,040) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2020.

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

Measure

In 2020, 1.87% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.56% of women were in the same situation.

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

Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of Puerto Rico in 2020 were High School or Equivalent (741k), Primary Education (489k), and Bachelors Degree (475k).

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 Puerto Rico was $111,200 in 2020, which is 0.484 times smaller than the national average of $229,800. Between 2019 and 2020 the median property value increased from $111,500 to $111,200, a 0.269% decrease. The homeownership rate in Puerto Rico is 67.8%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.4%.

People in Puerto Rico have an average commute time of 29.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Puerto Rico is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Puerto Rico is $21,058. In 2020, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Puerto Rico was Guaynabo Municipio, PR with a value of $36,073, followed by Gurabo Municipio, PR and Trujillo Alto Municipio, PR, with respective values of $35,367 and $32,611.

Housing

Property

$111,200

Median Property Value 2020

±$532

$817,399

Median Property Taxes

±$5,418

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 Puerto Rico the largest share of households pay taxes in the None range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Puerto Rico compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

67.8%

Homeownership

2020

74.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2020

In 2020, 67.8% of the housing units in Puerto Rico were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 68.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Puerto Rico 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 2020, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Puerto Rico was Guaynabo Municipio, PR with a value of $36,073, followed by Gurabo Municipio, PR and Trujillo Alto Municipio, PR, with respective values of $35,367 and $32,611.

The following map shows all of the counties in Puerto Rico 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.

$21,058

Median Household Income

± $186

1.21M

Number of Households

± 8,209

In 2020, the median household income of the 1.21M households in Puerto Rico grew to $21,058 from the previous year's value of $20,539.

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.

Wage Distribution

0.451

2020 Wage GINI in Puerto Rico

0.45

2019 Wage GINI in Puerto Rico

In 2020, the income inequality in Puerto Rico was 0.451 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.195% growth from 2019 to 2020, 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 2020

Drove Alone (83.4%)
Carpooled (7.68%)
Worked At Home (3.07%)

In 2020, 83.4% of workers in Puerto Rico drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (7.68%) and those who worked at home (3.07%).

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

29.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Puerto Rico have a longer commute time (29.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.9 minutes). Additionally, 3.51% 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.

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.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

43.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Puerto Rico (1.4M out of 3.23M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.8%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 35 - 44.

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

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

93.2% of the population of Puerto Rico has health coverage, with 23.5% on employee plans, 44.4% on Medicaid, 12.9% on Medicare, 11.3% on non-group plans, and 1.06% on military or VA plans.

COVID-19

Daily New Cases by Date

Showing data at the state level for . Hospitalization data for some states may be delayed or not reported.

Y-Axis

This chart shows the number of COVID-19 daily new cases by date in , as a 7-day rolling average, compared with the four states with the most similar number of confirmed cases.

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Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2020, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.3% under 18 years, 20.7% between 18 and 34 years, 38.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.4% were men and 53.6% were women.

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

Uninsured People

6.8%

Uninsured

23.5%

Employer Coverage

44.4%

Medicaid

12.9%

Medicare

11.3%

Non-Group

1.06%

Military or VA

Between 2019 and 2020, the percent of uninsured citizens in Puerto Rico grew by 3.81% from 6.55% to 6.8%.

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.