Population 146,190 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Carolina
Household size in Carolina
| Period | Carolina | Puerto Rico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.93 | 3.07 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.69 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.49 | 2.79 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.38 | 2.54 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.55 | −0.53 | −0.03 |
Households in Carolina are small: just 2.38 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.93, 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 Carolina
| Period | Carolina | Puerto Rico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.4 | 36.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.2 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.6 | 42.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.6 | 45.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +7.1 | +8.3 | +2.3 |
Carolina skews older: half of its residents are older than 44.6, 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 37.4, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Carolina
| Period | Carolina | Puerto Rico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.6% | 18.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.9% | 18.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 18.6% | 16.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 18.3% | 15.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −2.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head more than one in six households in Carolina (18.3%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has edged down 1.3 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Carolina has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of Puerto Rico cities.
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 Carolina
Renters in Carolina
| Period | Carolina | Puerto Rico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.4% | 27.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.8% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.4% | 31.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 33.0% | 32.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.6 pts | +4.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Carolina is about as common as it is nationally: 33.0% of households rent, against 34.8%. Nearly half of owners (48.1%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the northwest; owners are most common in the southeast. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 5.6 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 Carolina
| Period | Carolina | Puerto Rico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.5% | 15.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.3% | 18.7% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.9% | 22.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.3% | 19.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | +3.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Carolina: 15.3% 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. Even so, the rate is lower than in Puerto Rico overall (19.1%).
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 Carolina
| Period | Carolina | Puerto Rico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1976 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1976 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +3 | +6 |
The typical home in Carolina was built around 1976, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in Puerto Rico overall, where the median home dates to 1981. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the center. Of the 110 Puerto Rico cities with 5,000+ people, only four have older homes.
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 Carolina
| Period | Carolina | Puerto Rico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $606 | $489 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $659 | $528 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $659 | $553 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $730 | $658 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$125 | +$168 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Carolina costs $730 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in Puerto Rico as a whole ($658). Rents are up $125 a month from 2006–10, a 21% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 30.9% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Carolina
Bachelor's degrees in Carolina
| Period | Carolina | Puerto Rico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.5% | 21.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 29.7% | 24.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.7% | 26.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 36.9% | 30.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.4 pts | +8.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Carolina as nationally: 36.9% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is higher than in Puerto Rico overall (30.2%). The share with a degree has risen 10.4 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Carolina
| Period | Carolina | Puerto Rico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.0% | 67.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 82.6% | 72.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.1% | 76.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.5% | 81.4% | 89.3% |
| Change | +11.5 pts | +13.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Carolina is close to the national rate: 89.5% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The rate is higher than in Puerto Rico as a whole (81.4%). The share with a diploma has risen 11.5 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Carolina
| Period | Carolina | Puerto Rico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.0% | 16.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 15.2% | 18.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.8% | 16.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.3% | 10.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −6.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Carolina runs well above the national rate: 11.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 0.7 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than 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).
Carolina 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina | 2.38 | 44.6 | 18.3% | 33.0% | 15.3% | 1976 | $730 | 36.9% | 89.5% | 11.3% |
| Trujillo Alto | 2.46 | 44.4 | 14.5% | 25.4% | 11.8% | 1983 | $778 | 40.1% | 89.2% | 8.2% |
| St. Just | 2.31 | 41.9 | 15.7% | 29.7% | 11.9% | 1986 | $913 | 39.7% | 88.0% | 4.8% |
| San Juan | 2.19 | 45.9 | 14.5% | 47.3% | 21.6% | 1970 | $732 | 42.8% | 86.2% | 12.4% |
| Canovanas | 2.67 | 44.9 | 14.6% | 26.7% | 16.7% | 1987 | $670 | 28.0% | 79.8% | 13.0% |
| Loiza | 2.62 | 43.3 | 22.5% | 31.9% | 18.7% | 1990 | $583 | 16.4% | 78.0% | 27.7% |
| Puerto Nuevo | 2.42 | 30.9 | 19.8% | 59.9% | 33.5% | 1960 | $789 | 51.9% | 82.4% | 15.2% |
| La Cumbre | 2.66 | 48.0 | 12.4% | 27.5% | 19.3% | 1982 | $726 | 37.0% | 83.8% | 9.7% |
| Rio Grande | 2.62 | 44.4 | 19.6% | 30.3% | 18.9% | 1984 | $605 | 24.4% | 79.6% | 15.9% |
| Guaynabo | 2.48 | 45.7 | 10.4% | 28.5% | 14.0% | 1980 | $1,138 | 52.4% | 88.2% | 6.1% |
| Gurabo | 2.54 | 42.4 | 14.3% | 25.3% | 12.8% | 1990 | $703 | 33.4% | 82.9% | 12.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Erie, PA · Elizabeth, NJ · Elk Grove, CA · El Paso, TX · Ellicott City, MD · Eau Claire, WI · Edmond, OK · El Monte, CA · Elgin, IL · Edison, NJ
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 Carolina. 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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