Vega Baja, PR

Census Place

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2024 Population
22,756
2024 Median Age
43
2.49% 1-year decrease
2024 Poverty Rate
41.9%
3.55% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$23,353
4% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$119,100
3.21% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
7,815
10.4% 1-year growth

About

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 (19 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Vega Baja, PR was $119,100, and the homeownership rate was 71.5%.

Most people in Vega Baja, PR drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 30.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Vega Baja, PR was 2 cars per household.

United StatesPuerto RicoVega Baja Municipio, PRSan Juan-Carolina-Caguas, PRVega Baja, Vega Alta & Morovis PUMA, PR

Population & Diversity

In 2024, there were 2.72 times more Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents (12.7k people) in Vega Baja, PR than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.68k Other (Hispanic) and 3.57k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Vega Baja, PR
  1. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    12.7k ± 1.23k
  2. Other (Hispanic)
    4.68k ± 773
  3. White (Hispanic)
    3.57k ± 785
99%
Hispanic Population
22.5k people

In 2024, there were 2.72 times more Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents (12.7k people) in Vega Baja, PR than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.68k Other (Hispanic) and 3.57k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

99% of the people in Vega Baja, PR are hispanic (22.5k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Vega Baja, PR as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Puerto Rico.
Most Common Origin
  1. Dominican Republic
    50,106 ± 5,453 people
  2. Cuba
    9,621 ± 2,405 people
  3. Colombia
    4,277 ± 1,605 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Puerto Rico was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 50,106 Puerto Rico residents, followed by Cuba with 9,621 and Colombia with 4,277.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    95 ± 87
  2. Gulf War (1990s)
    58 ± 65
  3. Gulf War (2001-)
    49 ± 55

Vega Baja, PR has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.64 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Vega Baja, PR.

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Economy

The economy of Vega Baja, PR employs 7.82k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Vega Baja, PR were Retail Trade (1,077 people), Manufacturing (1,024 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (879 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($35,313), Finance & Insurance ($34,688), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($33,750).

Employment

Occupations

7.82k
2024 Value
± 836
10.4%
1 Year growth
± 13.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Vega Baja, PR grew at a rate of 10.4%, from 7.08k employees to 7.82k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Vega Baja, PR, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (972 people), Management Occupations (769 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (752 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Vega Baja, PR.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Puerto Rico (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

7.82k
2024 Value
± 836
10.4%
1 Year growth
± 13.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Vega Baja, PR grew at a rate of 10.4%, from 7.08k employees to 7.82k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Vega Baja, PR, are Retail Trade (1,077 people), Manufacturing (1,024 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (879 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.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$22,724
Median earning men ± $1,969
$22,990
Median earning women ± $2,765

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($34,760), Public Administration ($30,038), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($26,429).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($34,296), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($31,776), and Public Administration ($30,673).

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Education

In 2023, universities in Vega Baja, PR awarded 19 degrees. The student population of Vega Baja, PR in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 58 male students and 157 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Vega Baja, PR are Hispanic or Latino (19 and 100%).

The largest universities in Vega Baja, PR by number of degrees awarded are Caribbean University-Vega Baja (19 and 100%).

The median tuition cost in Vega Baja, PR for private four year colleges is $4,742.

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 215 students enrolled in Vega Baja, PR, 27% men and 73% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 215 records, of which 73% were women and 27% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Business Administration & Management
    3 degrees awarded
  2. Social Work
    2 degrees awarded
  3. Other Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing, & Nursing Assistants
    1 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Vega Baja, PR was General Business Administration & Management with 3 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Gender
Race
Caribbean University-Vega Baja
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
19 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Caribbean University-Vega Baja with 19 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

In 2023, 5 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Vega Baja, PR, which is 0.357 times less than the 14 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 19 degrees mean that there were Infinityk times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, with 0 degrees awarded.

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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.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($4,742) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,190) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,650) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Vega Baja, PR was $119,100 in 2024, which is 0.358 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $115,400 to $119,100, a 3.21% increase. The homeownership rate in Vega Baja, PR is 71.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Vega Baja, PR have an average commute time of 30.4 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.

Housing

Property

$119,100
Median Property Value 2024
±$5,044
$6,730
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.

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Rent vs Own

71.5%
Homeownership
2024
74.5%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 71.5% of the housing units in Vega Baja, PR were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 71.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Vega Baja, PR compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$23,353
Median Household Income
± $2,087
9.42k
Number of Households
± 744

In 2024, the median household income of the 9.42k households in Vega Baja, PR grew to $23,353 from the previous year's value of $22,455.

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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Vega Baja, PR is from Puerto Rico.
0.46
2023 Wage GINI in Puerto Rico
0.457
2022 Wage GINI in Puerto Rico

In 2023, the income inequality in Puerto Rico was 0.46 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.548% growth from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Puerto Rico was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (89.9%)
  2. Carpooled (4.74%)
  3. Walked (3.87%)

In 2024, 89.9% of workers in Vega Baja, PR drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (4.74%) and those who walked to work (3.87%).

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.

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Commute Time

30.4 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Vega Baja, PR have a longer commute time (30.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.31% 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.

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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.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

41.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Vega Baja, PR (9.48k out of 22.6k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 65 - 74, followed by Females 75+ and then Females 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Vega Baja, PR is Hispanic, followed by Two Or More 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.

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Health

91.6% of the population of Vega Baja, PR has health coverage, with 17.6% on employee plans, 49.5% on Medicaid, 12.3% on Medicare, 11.1% on non-group plans, and 1.16% on military or VA plans.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47% were men and 53% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.8% under 18 years, 19.2% between 18 and 34 years, 39.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47% were men and 53% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

8.4%
Uninsured
17.6%
Employer Coverage
49.5%
Medicaid
12.3%
Medicare
11.1%
Non-Group
1.16%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Vega Baja, PR declined by 27% from 11.5% to 8.4%.

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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