Ponce, PR

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2021 Population

226,358

2.61% 1-year growth

2021 Median Age

42.5

2.16% 1-year increase

2021 Poverty Rate

50.2%

0.962% 1-year decrease

2021 Median Household Income

$18,439

3.43% 1-year growth

2021 Median Property Value

$95,900

0.314% 1-year growth

2021 Employed Population

61,944

2.29% 1-year growth

About

In 2021, Ponce, PR had a population of 226k people with a median age of 42.5 and a median household income of $18,439. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of Ponce, PR grew from 220,601 to 226,358, a 2.61% increase and its median household income grew from $17,827 to $18,439, a 3.43% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Ponce, PR are White (Hispanic) (56.7%), Two+ (Hispanic) (28.7%), Other (Hispanic) (7.84%), Black or African American (Hispanic) (6.18%), and White (Non-Hispanic) (0.329%).

None of the households in Ponce, 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 Ponce, PR are Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce (1,091 degrees awarded in 2021), Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce (704 degrees), and University of Puerto Rico at Ponce (491 degrees).

In 2021, the median property value in Ponce, PR was $95,900, and the homeownership rate was 71%.

Most people in Ponce, PR drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Ponce, PR was 2 cars per household.

Ponce, PR borders Adjuntas, PR, Aguadilla-Isabela, PR, Coamo, PR, Jayuya, PR, San Germán, PR, San Juan-Carolina-Caguas, PR, and Santa Isabel, PR.

About the photo: Early Morning Ponce, PR

Photo by Heidi

United States Puerto Rico

Population & Diversity

In 2021, there were 1.98 times more White (Hispanic) residents (128k people) in Ponce, PR than any other race or ethnicity. There were 64.9k Two+ (Hispanic) and 17.7k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Ponce, PR

White (Hispanic)
128k ± 3k
Two+ (Hispanic)
64.9k ± 3.57k
Other (Hispanic)
17.7k ± 1.57k

99.5%

Hispanic Population

225k people

99.5% of the people in Ponce, PR are hispanic (225k people).

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

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Puerto Rico.

Most Common Origin

Dominican Republic
53,018 ± 5,608 people
Cuba
10,661 ± 2,531 people
Colombia
3,951 ± 1,542 people

In 2021, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Puerto Rico was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 53,018 Puerto Rico residents, followed by Cuba with 10,661 and Colombia with 3,951.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,101 ± 294
Korea
817 ± 171
Gulf War (2001-)
646 ± 177

Ponce, PR has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.57 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Ponce, PR employs 61.9k people. The largest industries in Ponce, PR are Health Care & Social Assistance (8,908 people), Retail Trade (8,287 people), and Educational Services (7,671 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($37,440), Finance & Insurance ($27,870), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($26,530).

Males in Puerto Rico have an average income that is 1.12 times higher than the average income of females, which is $32,120. The income inequality in Puerto Rico (measured using the Gini index) is 0.456, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

61.9k

2021 Value

± 2,052

2.29%

1 Year growth

± 4.4%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Ponce, PR grew at a rate of 2.29%, from 60.6k employees to 61.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Ponce, PR, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (8,225 people), Sales & Related Occupations (7,048 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (5,190 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Ponce, 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

61.9k

2021 Value

± 2,052

2.29%

1 Year growth

± 4.4%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Ponce, PR grew at a rate of 2.29%, from 60.6k employees to 61.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Ponce, PR, are Health Care & Social Assistance (8,908 people), Retail Trade (8,287 people), and Educational Services (7,671 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Ponce, PR, though some of these residents may live in Ponce, PR and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$17,102

Median earning men ± $451

$17,502

Median earning women ± $923

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Information ($34,375), Public Administration ($27,066), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($23,231).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Public Administration ($25,961), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($24,931), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($22,667).

Establishments by Size

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Education

In 2021, universities in Ponce, PR awarded 3,872 degrees. The student population of Ponce, PR in 2021 is skewed towards women, with 5,830 male students and 9,682 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Ponce, PR are Hispanic or Latino (3,852 and 99.5%), followed by White (9 and 0.233%), Asian (3 and 0.0775%), and Unknown (3 and 0.0775%).

The largest universities in Ponce, PR by number of degrees awarded are Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce (1,091 and 28.2%), Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce (704 and 18.2%), and University of Puerto Rico at Ponce (491 and 12.7%).

The most popular majors in Ponce, PR are General Biomedical Sciences (214 and 5.53%), Electrician (206 and 5.32%), and Registered Nursing (199 and 5.14%).

The median tuition costs in Ponce, PR are $4,920 for private four year colleges, and $4,640 and $4,640 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2021 in Ponce, PR, the percentage of applicants admitted was 67.2%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 65.3%. The number of students enrolled in 2021 was 15,512 (37.6% men and 62.4% women).

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

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2021 there were 15,512 students enrolled in Ponce, PR, 37.6% men and 62.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 15,336 records, of which 62.4% were women and 37.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Other Biological & Biomedical Sciences
91 degrees awarded
General Biomedical Sciences
211 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
168 degrees awarded

In 2021, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Ponce, PR was Other Biological & Biomedical Sciences with 91 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce
1,091 degrees awarded
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce
704 degrees awarded
University of Puerto Rico at Ponce
491 degrees awarded

In 2021, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce with 1,091 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2021, 1,545 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Ponce, PR, which is 0.664 times less than the 2,327 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2021 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 3,852 degrees mean that there were 428 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 9 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 for-profit, 4-year or above ($7,818) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2021.

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,650) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2021.

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

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

Measure

In 2021, NaNN% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while NaNN% 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 .

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2021 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

The median property value in Ponce, PR was $95,900 in 2021, which is 0.392 times smaller than the national average of $244,900. Between 2020 and 2021 the median property value increased from $95,600 to $95,900, a 0.314% increase. The homeownership rate in Ponce, PR is 71%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.6%.

People in Ponce, PR have an average commute time of 25.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Ponce, PR is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Ponce, PR is $18,439. In 2021, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Ponce, PR was Guaynabo Municipio, PR with a value of $39,176, followed by Gurabo Municipio, PR and Trujillo Alto Municipio, PR, with respective values of $35,470 and $33,948.

Housing

Property

$95,900

Median Property Value 2021

±$1,330

$57,299

Median Property Taxes

±$1,457

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

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

Rent vs Own

71%

Homeownership

2021

74.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2021

In 2021, 71% of the housing units in Ponce, PR were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 68.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Ponce, 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)

In 2021, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Ponce, PR was Guaynabo Municipio, PR with a value of $39,176, followed by Gurabo Municipio, PR and Trujillo Alto Municipio, PR, with respective values of $35,470 and $33,948.

The following map shows all of the counties in Ponce, 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.

$18,439

Median Household Income

± $588

80.7k

Number of Households

± 1,861

In 2021, the median household income of the 80.7k households in Ponce, PR grew to $18,439 from the previous year's value of $17,827.

The following chart displays the households in Ponce, 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 Ponce, PR is from Puerto Rico.

0.456

2021 Wage GINI in Puerto Rico

0.451

2020 Wage GINI in Puerto Rico

In 2021, the income inequality in Puerto Rico was 0.456 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.25% growth from 2020 to 2021, 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 2021

Drove Alone (86.7%)
Carpooled (6.49%)
Worked At Home (2.76%)

In 2021, 86.7% of workers in Ponce, PR drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (6.49%) and those who worked at home (2.76%).

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

25.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Ponce, PR have a shorter commute time (25.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 2.84% of the workforce in Ponce, PR have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

50.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Ponce, PR (112k out of 223k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.6%. 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 Ponce, PR is Hispanic, followed by White and Two Or More.

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

94.6% of the population of Ponce, PR has health coverage, with 21.3% on employee plans, 53.9% on Medicaid, 10.2% on Medicare, 8.18% on non-group plans, and 1.07% on military or VA plans.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.7% under 18 years, 21% between 18 and 34 years, 36.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.9% were men and 53.1% were women.

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

Uninsured People

5.42%

Uninsured

21.3%

Employer Coverage

53.9%

Medicaid

10.2%

Medicare

8.18%

Non-Group

1.07%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in Ponce, PR grew by 0.336% from 5.4% to 5.42%.

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