Vega Alta, PR

Census Place

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2023 Population

8,681

5.43% 1-year decline

2023 Median Age

6.98% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

40.9%

3.18% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$23,682

2.27% 1-year decline

2023 Employed Population

2,804

3.84% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Vega Alta, PR had a population of 8.68k people with a median age of 46 and a median household income of $23,682. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Vega Alta, PR declined from 9,179 to 8,681, a −5.43% decrease and its median household income declined from $24,231 to $23,682, a −2.27% decrease.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Vega Alta, PR are Two+ (Hispanic) (42.9%), Other (Hispanic) (29.1%), White (Hispanic) (23.5%), Black or African American (Hispanic) (3.56%), and Other (Non-Hispanic) (0.426%).

None of the households in Vega Alta, 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.

Most people in Vega Alta, PR drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 29.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Vega Alta, PR was 2 cars per household.

United States Puerto Rico Vega Alta Municipio, PR San Juan-Carolina-Caguas, PR Toa Baja & Dorado PUMA, PR Vega Baja, Vega Alta & Morovis PUMA, PR

Population & Diversity

In 2023, there were 1.47 times more Two+ (Hispanic) residents (3.72k people) in Vega Alta, PR than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.52k Other (Hispanic) and 2.04k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Vega Alta, PR

Two+ (Hispanic)
3.72k ± 758
Other (Hispanic)
2.52k ± 550
White (Hispanic)
2.04k ± 534

98.9%

Hispanic Population

8.59k people

98.9% of the people in Vega Alta, PR are hispanic (8.59k people).

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

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place 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
118 ± 100
Gulf War (1990s)
43 ± 52
Gulf War (2001-)
25 ± 33

Vega Alta, PR has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.74 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Vega Alta, PR employs 2.8k people. The largest industries in Vega Alta, PR are Health Care & Social Assistance (431 people), Retail Trade (404 people), and Public Administration (335 people), and the highest paying industries are Transportation & Warehousing ($41,458), Administrative & Support & Waste Management Services ($40,125), and Public Administration ($35,736).

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

2.8k

2023 Value

± 473

−3.84%

1 Year decline

± 24.6%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Vega Alta, PR declined at a rate of −3.84%, from 2.92k employees to 2.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Vega Alta, PR, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (426 people), Sales & Related Occupations (351 people), and Fire Fighting & Prevention, & Other Protective Service Workers Including Supervisors (250 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Vega Alta, 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

2.8k

2023 Value

± 473

−3.84%

1 Year decline

± 24.6%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Vega Alta, PR declined at a rate of −3.84%, from 2.92k employees to 2.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Vega Alta, PR, are Health Care & Social Assistance (431 people), Retail Trade (404 people), and Public Administration (335 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Vega Alta, PR, though some of these residents may live in Vega Alta, PR and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Education

Completions

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In N/A, N/A% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while N/A% 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 Puerto Rico.

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in false 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

People in Vega Alta, PR have an average commute time of 29.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Vega Alta, PR is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Vega Alta, PR is $23,682. In 2023, the place with the highest median household income in Vega Alta, PR was Census Tract 5505 with a value of $24,135, followed by Census Tract 5504 and Census Tract 5506.01, with respective values of $19,435 and $16,814.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 5505
Census Tract 5504
Census Tract 5506.01

In 2023, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Vega Alta, PR was Census Tract 5505 with a value of $24,135, followed by Census Tract 5504 and Census Tract 5506.01, with respective values of $19,435 and $16,814.

The following map shows all of the places in Vega Alta, 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.

$23,682

Median Household Income

± $2,270

N/A

Number of Households

± 0

In 2023, the median household income of the N/A households in Vega Alta, PR declined from $23,682 from the previous year's value of $24,231.

The following chart displays the households in Vega Alta, 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 Vega Alta, 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 (78.6%)
Carpooled (8.84%)
Walked (6.78%)

In 2023, 78.6% of workers in Vega Alta, PR drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.84%) and those who walked to work (6.78%).

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

29.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Vega Alta, PR have a longer commute time (29.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.9% of the workforce in Vega Alta, PR have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

40.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Vega Alta, PR (3.48k out of 8.51k 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 45 - 54, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Vega Alta, 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.

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

97.6% of the population of Vega Alta, PR has health coverage, with 23.7% on employee plans, 53.8% on Medicaid, 10.7% on Medicare, 6.79% on non-group plans, and 2.63% on military or VA plans.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In N/A, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in .

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, N/A were men and N/A were women.

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

Uninsured People

2.35%

Uninsured

23.7%

Employer Coverage

53.8%

Medicaid

10.7%

Medicare

6.79%

Non-Group

2.63%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Vega Alta, PR declined by 27.1% from 3.23% to 2.35%.

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

Keep Exploring

San Juan-Carolina-Caguas, PR

MSA

Puerto Rico

State

Vega Alta Municipio, PR

County

United States

Nation