Comunidad · Puerto Rico
Candelaria Arenas, Puerto Rico
Candelaria Arenas, comunidad, in Toa Baja Municipio, Puerto Rico. Candelaria Arenas had 3,934 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 3,560 (±769). GEOID 7212560.
Residents, 2020 Census
3,934
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 3,560 ±769
Median household income
$23,240
±$5,153 (90% margin)
Puerto Rico: $26,297
Median home value
$102,100
±$16,777 (90% margin)
Puerto Rico: $131,500
Median gross rent
$531
±$244 (90% margin)
Puerto Rico: $578
Where is Candelaria Arenas and what county is it in?
Candelaria Arenas is a comunidad in Toa Baja Municipio, Puerto Rico. It covers 1.0 square miles of land, 3,942 residents per square mile in 2020.
Candelaria Arenas is in the San Juan-Bayamón-Caguas, PR metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 40 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Candelaria Arenas, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 3,934 residents in Candelaria Arenas, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 3,560 (±769).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Candelaria Arenas is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Candelaria Arenas | Toa Baja Municipio | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,560 ±769 | 73,039 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,753 ±246 | 36,615 | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Candelaria Arenas?
The median resident of Candelaria Arenas is 43.9 years old; 14.3% are under 18 and 23.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 100.0%.
| Measure | Candelaria Arenas | Toa Baja Municipio | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.9 ±8.5 | 43.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 14.3% ±6.4 pts | 16.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 23.5% ±7.8 pts | 22.3% | – |
| Male | 46.3% ±6.4 pts | 46.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 100.0% ±1.5 pts | 99.5% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.5 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 10.4% ±5.3 pts | 6.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Candelaria Arenas earn?
Half of Candelaria Arenas's households earn less than $23,240 a year (±$5,153), against $32,017 in Toa Baja Municipio and $26,297 in Puerto Rico. In 2015-2019 it was $23,427 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 51.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Candelaria Arenas | Toa Baja Municipio | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $23,240 ±$5,153 | $32,017 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $24,157 ±$3,035 | $43,529 | – |
| Per capita income | $10,909 ±$2,322 | $18,984 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 51.8% ±13.3 pts | 32.4% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 77.6% ±23.7 pts | 43.2% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 50.8% ±9.8 pts | 38.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Candelaria Arenas?
Owners occupy 59.3% of Candelaria Arenas's occupied homes and renters 40.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $102,100 by its owner (±$16,777). The median renter pays $531 a month including utilities, and 47.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Candelaria Arenas | Toa Baja Municipio | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $102,100 ±$16,777 | $148,900 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $531 ±$244 | $713 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 47.3% ±26.4 pts | 35.8% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $755 ±$132 | $959 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 59.3% ±11.2 pts | 69.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 40.7% ±11.2 pts | 30.9% | – |
| Housing units | 1,753 ±246 | 36,615 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±5.7 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±8.4 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 74.0% ±9.2 pts | 66.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±3.1 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±3.1 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 6.8% ±4.5 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±3.1 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 18.5% ±9.1 pts | 9.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Candelaria Arenas work and get to work?
70.8% of Candelaria Arenas's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 25.8 minutes.
| Measure | Candelaria Arenas | Toa Baja Municipio | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 44.1% ±9.8 pts | 54.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 7.8% ±6.0 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 70.8% ±9.8 pts | 72.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 9.8% ±5.8 pts | 10.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±4.6 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Walked | 2.5% ±4.2 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.8% ±4.6 pts | 9.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 25.8 min ±4.1 | 32.1 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Candelaria Arenas?
1 census tract lies mostly in Candelaria Arenas (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 1218.01Toa Baja Municipio | 3,963 | $23,283 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Candelaria Arenas) · Census block assignment files
How does Candelaria Arenas compare with other places in Puerto Rico?
Candelaria Arenas ranks 84th of 198 places in Puerto Rico with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 76th | 213 |
| Residents per square mile | 100th | 213 |
| Median household income | 84th | 198 |
| Per capita income | 167th | 211 |
| Median home value | 121st | 204 |
| Median gross rent | 77th | 140 |
| Poverty rate | 67th | 201 |
| Median age | 126th | 209 |
| Owner-occupied share | 167th | 212 |
| Travel time to work | 102nd | 202 |
Candelaria Arenas's figures with every place in Puerto Rico (CSV)
Every place in Puerto Rico, sortable · Compare Candelaria Arenas with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Candelaria Arenas?
17 of the 43 figures for Candelaria Arenas on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Candelaria Arenas are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.