Population 63,045 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Arecibo
Household size in Arecibo
| Period | Arecibo | Puerto Rico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.96 | 3.07 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.83 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.62 | 2.79 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.65 | 2.54 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.32 | −0.53 | −0.03 |
At 2.65 people per household, Arecibo sits right at the national average. The typical household here is bigger than in Puerto Rico overall, where it has 2.54 people. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.96, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Arecibo
| Period | Arecibo | Puerto Rico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.1 | 36.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.2 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.6 | 42.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.3 | 45.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.1 | +8.3 | +2.3 |
Arecibo skews older: half of its residents are older than 45.3, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 39.1, mirroring the country.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Arecibo
| Period | Arecibo | Puerto Rico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.1% | 18.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.0% | 18.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 16.4% | 16.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.0% | 15.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −2.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Arecibo: 15.0% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. That is in line with the rest of Puerto Rico. The single-parent share is down 1.2 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Arecibo
Renters in Arecibo
| Period | Arecibo | Puerto Rico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.0% | 27.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.5% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.9% | 31.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 35.2% | 32.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +7.1 pts | +4.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a third of households in Arecibo rent their homes (35.2%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Puerto Rico as a whole (32.1%). Among homeowners, 64.7% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 7.1 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Arecibo
| Period | Arecibo | Puerto Rico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.0% | 15.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.6% | 18.7% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 22.0% | 22.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.1% | 19.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +3.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Arecibo: 21.1% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy is up 3.2 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Arecibo
| Period | Arecibo | Puerto Rico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +3 | +6 |
Homes in Arecibo are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. The median year built has moved up from 1976 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the east, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Arecibo
| Period | Arecibo | Puerto Rico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $447 | $489 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $451 | $528 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $468 | $553 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $559 | $658 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$112 | +$168 | +$606 |
Rent in Arecibo runs $559 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $112 a month from 2006–10, a 25% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 28.3% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the northwest; the highest are in the southwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Arecibo
Bachelor's degrees in Arecibo
| Period | Arecibo | Puerto Rico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.8% | 21.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 25.3% | 24.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.5% | 26.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 31.1% | 30.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.3 pts | +8.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over three in ten adults 25 and older in Arecibo (31.1%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little below the national share of 35.6%. The picture is much the same across Puerto Rico. The share with a degree is up 9.3 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Arecibo
| Period | Arecibo | Puerto Rico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 68.0% | 67.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 74.3% | 72.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 78.6% | 76.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.6% | 81.4% | 89.3% |
| Change | +16.6 pts | +13.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in seven adults in Arecibo never finished high school, more than nationally: 84.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Even so, the rate is higher than in Puerto Rico as a whole (81.4%). The share with a diploma has risen 16.6 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Arecibo
| Period | Arecibo | Puerto Rico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.8% | 16.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 18.0% | 18.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 19.0% | 16.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.4% | 10.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.4 pts | −6.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Arecibo runs well above the national rate: 14.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 4.4 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Arecibo compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arecibo | 2.65 | 45.3 | 15.0% | 35.2% | 21.1% | 1980 | $559 | 31.1% | 84.6% | 14.4% |
| Hato Viejo | 2.66 | 50.1 | 7.4% | 30.4% | 27.3% | 1984 | $491 | 25.0% | 74.3% | 6.5% |
| San Francisco | 2.54 | 51.9 | 9.5% | 27.9% | 26.7% | 1982 | $582 | 23.4% | 73.0% | 9.9% |
| Bajadero | 2.61 | 50.8 | 16.0% | 31.3% | 23.4% | 1982 | $596 | 21.5% | 75.5% | 16.9% |
| Hatillo | 2.77 | 44.7 | 11.5% | 30.7% | 19.2% | 1990 | $590 | 33.0% | 79.8% | 6.7% |
| Garrochales | 2.58 | 41.2 | 16.7% | 18.7% | 19.5% | 1989 | $597 | 27.7% | 81.7% | 12.8% |
| Sabana Hoyos | 2.45 | 45.4 | 14.4% | 37.3% | 26.0% | 1983 | $579 | 21.4% | 76.6% | 16.6% |
| Camuy | 2.69 | 44.6 | 10.4% | 25.6% | 13.4% | 1986 | $621 | 25.2% | 77.4% | 2.6% |
| Angeles | 2.66 | 49.0 | 11.0% | 32.3% | 18.8% | 1987 | $466 | 24.3% | 69.0% | 17.2% |
| Barceloneta | 2.53 | 43.2 | 17.3% | 29.2% | 13.5% | 1985 | $565 | 23.3% | 78.2% | 10.7% |
| Florida | 2.63 | 42.4 | 16.3% | 25.9% | 12.1% | 1989 | $626 | 21.5% | 75.8% | 18.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Novato, CA · Newport Beach, CA · Titusville, FL · Danville, CA · Davenport, FL · Huntsville, TX · Howell, MI · Monterey Park, CA · Mentor, OH · Goleta, CA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Arecibo. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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