Arecibo, PR Metro Area

Metro Area

Population: 181,380 (2023 estimate)

Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA)

Metro area data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) are defined by the Office of Management and Budget and group counties with a central urban core plus surrounding communities that are economically tied to it. Metro areas often cross county and state lines, making them the best unit for understanding regional labor markets, housing costs, and commute patterns.

Metro income rankings Compare to another metro

Trends 2017–2023

Income Poverty Home Values Rent Homeownership Education Unemployment Commute Time Work From Home Foreign-Born Uninsured

Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).

Quick Facts — Arecibo, PR Metro Area

What is the median household income in Arecibo, PR Metro Area?: The median household income in Arecibo, PR Metro Area is $24,436 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
What is the poverty rate in Arecibo, PR Metro Area?: The poverty rate in Arecibo, PR Metro Area is 37.9% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
What is the median home value in Arecibo, PR Metro Area?: $111,700 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
What is the average rent in Arecibo, PR Metro Area?: The median gross rent in Arecibo, PR Metro Area is $535 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).

Population

181,380

Median Income

$24,436

Median Home Value

$111,700

Poverty Rate

37.9%

Unemployment (ACS 2023)

11.0%

Median Age

45.0 yrs

Since 2019 Median Income: +$6,482 (+36.1%) Home Value: +$15,800 (+16.5%) Poverty Rate: -6.4 pp (-14.4%) Unemployment: -2.2 pp (-16.7%)

Demographics

Total Population 181,380

Median Age 45.0

Female 52.4%

Race & Ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino 99.2% White (non-Hisp.) 0.5% Black 2.6% Asian 0.4% Two or More 26.8% Other 22.2%

Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)

Puerto Rican

98.3%

Cuban

0.2%

Mexican

0.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Income & Poverty

Median Household Income $24,436 ±$758

Per Capita Income $39,581

Median Family Income $30,685

Poverty Rate 37.9%

Child Poverty Rate 50.0%

Working-Age Poverty Rate —

SNAP Recipients 53.9%

Social Security Income —

Retirement Income 21.6%

Household Income Distribution

< $10k

22.1%

$10–15k

11.0%

$15–25k

18.0%

$25–35k

13.9%

$35–50k

14.0%

$50–75k

11.3%

$75–100k

4.9%

$100–150k

3.7%

$150–200k

0.5%

$200k+

0.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Housing

Total Housing Units 83,248

Owner-Occupied 68.3%

Renter-Occupied 31.7%

Vacancy Rate 21.5%

Median Home Value $111,700

Median Gross Rent $535

Owner Cost Burden (30%+) 27.5%

Renter Cost Burden (30%+) 38.2%

Home Value Distribution

< $50k

9.5%

$50–100k

31.7%

$100–200k

28.8%

$200–300k

8.6%

$300–500k

3.8%

$500k–$1M

0.6%

$1M+

0.6%

Gross Rent Distribution

< $500

42.6%

$500–1k

53.3%

$1–1.5k

3.5%

$2–2.5k

0.2%

$2.5–3.5k

0.3%

Vehicle Availability

No vehicle

11.3%

1 vehicle

42.1%

2 vehicles

31.1%

15.5%

Housing Type

Single-fam. det.

83.2%

Single-fam. att.

9.0%

2–4 units

0.7%

5–19 units

2.4%

20+ units

1.0%

Mobile home

0.4%

Housing Age

Pre-1940

0.8%

1940–1969

2.1%

1970–1999

21.8%

2000–2009

14.1%

2010+

3.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Education

No education data available.

Employment

Labor Force Participation 42.6%

Unemployment Rate 11.0%

Work from Home 5.8%

Self-Employed 12.1%

Government Workers 19.3%

Private For-Profit 68.6%

Industry

Edu/Health

21.7%

Retail

14.4%

Manufacturing

12.3%

Public Admin

9.3%

Arts/Entmt.

8.9%

Prof. Services

8.1%

Construction

7.0%

Finance

3.9%

Transportation

3.6%

Agriculture

1.9%

Wholesale

1.3%

Information

1.1%

Occupation

Management

26.8%

Sales

26.2%

Food Prep

19.6%

Production

15.8%

Construction

11.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Commute

Median Travel Time 26.7 min

Drove Alone 89.4%

Carpool 3.1%

Public Transit 0.3%

Work from Home 5.8%

Walked 0.9%

Bicycle —

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Households & Families

Total Households —

Avg. Household Size —

Avg. Family Size —

Married-Couple Households —

Single-Mother Households —

Single-Father Households —

Living Alone —

Households with Children —

Multigenerational —

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Age Distribution

Under 5

3.2%

5–9

4.1%

10–14

5.5%

15–19

5.9%

20–24

6.4%

25–34

13.1%

35–44

11.7%

45–54

13.4%

55–64

7.1%

65–74

6.6%

75–84

11.8%

85+

8.4%

Under 18: 16.3% Working age (18–64): 83.7% 65 and over: 22.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023

Social Characteristics

Immigration

Foreign Born —

Naturalized Citizen —

Speaks English Less Than Very Well —

Veterans & Disability

Veteran —

With a Disability —

Cognitive Difficulty —

Ambulatory Difficulty —

Health Insurance

Insured 93.9%

Uninsured 6.1%

Employer Insurance —

Medicaid —

Medicare —

Technology & Mobility

Broadband Internet —

Has a Computer —

Same House 1 Year Ago —

Moved from Abroad —

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023