Vega Baja, PR

Census Place

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2023 Population

22,730

2.94% 1-year decline

2023 Median Age

44.1

2.32% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

43.4%

0.0114% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$22,455

0.395% 1-year decline

2023 Median Property Value

$115,400

1.05% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

7,079

2.05% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Vega Baja, PR had a population of 22.7k people with a median age of 44.1 and a median household income of $22,455. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Vega Baja, PR declined from 23,418 to 22,730, a −2.94% decrease and its median household income declined from $22,544 to $22,455, a −0.395% decrease.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Vega Baja, PR are Two+ (Hispanic) (49.6%), White (Hispanic) (25.3%), Other (Hispanic) (18.5%), Black or African American (Hispanic) (5.2%), and White (Non-Hispanic) (0.977%).

None of the households in Vega Baja, 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 Vega Baja, PR are Caribbean University-Vega Baja (32 degrees awarded in 2022).

In 2023, the median property value in Vega Baja, PR was $115,400, and the homeownership rate was 71.8%.

Most people in Vega Baja, PR drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 29.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Vega Baja, PR was 2 cars per household.

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

Population & Diversity

In 2023, there were 1.96 times more Two+ (Hispanic) residents (11.3k people) in Vega Baja, PR than any other race or ethnicity. There were 5.75k White (Hispanic) and 4.21k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Vega Baja, PR

Two+ (Hispanic)
11.3k ± 1.32k
White (Hispanic)
5.75k ± 903
Other (Hispanic)
4.21k ± 718

98.6%

Hispanic Population

22.4k people

98.6% of the people in Vega Baja, PR are hispanic (22.4k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Vega Baja, 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
152 ± 102
Gulf War (1990s)
56 ± 64
Gulf War (2001-)
48 ± 54

Vega Baja, PR has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.71 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Vega Baja, PR employs 7.08k people. The largest industries in Vega Baja, PR are Manufacturing (1,088 people), Retail Trade (1,062 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (737 people), and the highest paying industries are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($92,575), Finance & Insurance ($35,496), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($35,000).

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

7.08k

2023 Value

± 733

−2.05%

1 Year decline

± 14.7%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Vega Baja, PR declined at a rate of −2.05%, from 7.23k employees to 7.08k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Vega Baja, PR, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (993 people), Sales & Related Occupations (898 people), and Production Occupations (649 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Vega Baja, 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

7.08k

2023 Value

± 733

−2.05%

1 Year decline

± 14.7%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Vega Baja, PR declined at a rate of −2.05%, from 7.23k employees to 7.08k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Vega Baja, PR, are Manufacturing (1,088 people), Retail Trade (1,062 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (737 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Vega Baja, PR, though some of these residents may live in Vega Baja, PR and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$21,722

Median earning men ± $1,870

$22,152

Median earning women ± $2,763

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($33,413), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($26,369), and Public Administration ($24,507).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($35,655), Manufacturing ($34,353), and Public Administration ($30,625).

Education

In 2022, universities in Vega Baja, PR awarded 32 degrees. The student population of Vega Baja, PR in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 46 male students and 113 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Vega Baja, PR are Hispanic or Latino (32 and 100%), followed by Asian (0 and 0%), Black or African American (0 and 0%), and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders (0 and 0%).

The largest universities in Vega Baja, PR by number of degrees awarded are Caribbean University-Vega Baja (32 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Vega Baja, PR are Other Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants (11 and 34.4%), Criminal Justice - Police Science (5 and 15.6%), and General Business Administration & Management (5 and 15.6%).

The median tuition cost in Vega Baja, PR for private four year colleges is $4,776.

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2022 there were 159 students enrolled in Vega Baja, PR, 28.9% men and 71.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 159 records, of which 71.1% were women and 28.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Other Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants
11 degrees awarded
Social Work
4 degrees awarded
Criminal Justice - Police Science
3 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Vega Baja, PR was Other Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants with 11 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Caribbean University-Vega Baja

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

32 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Caribbean University-Vega Baja with 32 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2022, 5 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Vega Baja, PR, which is 0.185 times less than the 27 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 32 degrees mean that there were Infinityk times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Asian, with 0 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

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($4,776) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,190) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,100) 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 Puerto Rico.

Measure

In 2022, 1.73% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.44% 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.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (756k), Bachelors Degree (514k), and Primary Education (462k).

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 Vega Baja, PR was $115,400 in 2023, which is 0.38 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $114,200 to $115,400, a 1.05% increase. The homeownership rate in Vega Baja, PR is 71.8%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Vega Baja, PR have an average commute time of 29.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Vega Baja, PR is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Vega Baja, PR is $22,455. In 2023, the place with the highest median household income in Vega Baja, PR was Census Tract 5604.01 with a value of $45,764, followed by Census Tract 5604.02 and Census Tract 5607.01, with respective values of $37,662 and $29,808.

Housing

Property

$115,400

Median Property Value 2023

±$3,238

$6,511

Median Property Taxes

±$606

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 Vega Baja, PR the largest share of households pay taxes in the None range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Vega Baja, PR compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

71.8%

Homeownership

2023

74.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 71.8% of the housing units in Vega Baja, PR were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 72.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Vega Baja, 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)

Census Tract 5604.01
Census Tract 5604.02
Census Tract 5607.01

In 2023, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Vega Baja, PR was Census Tract 5604.01 with a value of $45,764, followed by Census Tract 5604.02 and Census Tract 5607.01, with respective values of $37,662 and $29,808.

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

$22,455

Median Household Income

± $1,797

9.07k

Number of Households

± 697

In 2023, the median household income of the 9.07k households in Vega Baja, PR declined from $22,455 from the previous year's value of $22,544.

The following chart displays the households in Vega Baja, 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 Baja, 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 (92.9%)
Walked (3.69%)
Carpooled (2.2%)

In 2023, 92.9% of workers in Vega Baja, PR drove alone to work, followed by those who walked to work (3.69%) and those who carpooled to work (2.2%).

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

29.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Vega Baja, PR have a longer commute time (29.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.4% of the workforce in Vega Baja, PR have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Vega Baja, 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 Baja, PR distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Vega Baja, PR have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

43.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Vega Baja, PR (9.83k out of 22.6k 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 65 - 74, followed by Females 75+ and then Females 25 - 34.

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

88.5% of the population of Vega Baja, PR has health coverage, with 15.8% on employee plans, 46.7% on Medicaid, 11.6% on Medicare, 13.3% on non-group plans, and 1.06% on military or VA plans.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.5% under 18 years, 20.2% between 18 and 34 years, 37.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 45.8% were men and 54.2% were women.

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

Uninsured People

11.5%

Uninsured

15.8%

Employer Coverage

46.7%

Medicaid

11.6%

Medicare

13.3%

Non-Group

1.06%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Vega Baja, PR grew by 12.2% from 10.3% to 11.5%.

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

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