Comunidad · Puerto Rico
Candelaria, Puerto Rico
Candelaria, comunidad, in Toa Baja Municipio, Puerto Rico. Candelaria had 14,868 people in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±1,323). GEOID 7212441.
Residents, 2020-2024
14,868
±1,323 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 14,662
Median household income
$41,734
±$5,492 (90% margin)
Puerto Rico: $26,297
Median home value
$152,500
±$4,678 (90% margin)
Puerto Rico: $131,500
Median gross rent
$848
±$143 (90% margin)
Puerto Rico: $578
Where is Candelaria and what county is it in?
Candelaria is a comunidad in Toa Baja Municipio, Puerto Rico. It covers 3.0 square miles of land, 4,882 residents per square mile in 2020.
Candelaria 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, and is it growing?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Candelaria's population at 14,868 (±1,323). The 2020 Census counted 14,662 residents.
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Candelaria is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Candelaria | Toa Baja Municipio | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 14,868 ±1,323 | 73,039 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 6,485 ±440 | 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?
The median resident of Candelaria is 41.6 years old; 17.1% are under 18 and 20.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 99.4%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 0.5%.
| Measure | Candelaria | Toa Baja Municipio | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.6 ±2.3 | 43.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 17.1% ±2.4 pts | 16.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 20.4% ±2.8 pts | 22.3% | – |
| Male | 47.6% ±2.4 pts | 46.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 99.4% ±0.5 pts | 99.5% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±0.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.3% ±2.1 pts | 6.4% | no clear change |
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 earn?
Half of Candelaria's households earn less than $41,734 a year (±$5,492), against $32,017 in Toa Baja Municipio and $26,297 in Puerto Rico. In 2015-2019 it was $35,524 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 25.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Candelaria | Toa Baja Municipio | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $41,734 ±$5,492 | $32,017 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $55,560 ±$5,319 | $43,529 | – |
| Per capita income | $22,304 ±$2,165 | $18,984 | +$4,200 |
| People below the poverty line | 25.6% ±4.9 pts | 32.4% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 39.1% ±11.4 pts | 43.2% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 30.0% ±4.1 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?
Owners occupy 74.9% of Candelaria's occupied homes and renters 25.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $152,500 by its owner (±$4,678). The median renter pays $848 a month including utilities, and 32.8% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Candelaria | Toa Baja Municipio | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $152,500 ±$4,678 | $148,900 | −$11,305 |
| Median gross rent | $848 ±$143 | $713 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 32.8% ±15.6 pts | 35.8% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,038 ±$89 | $959 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 74.9% ±4.7 pts | 69.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 25.1% ±4.7 pts | 30.9% | – |
| Housing units | 6,485 ±440 | 36,615 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 1.8% ±1.5 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 1.1% ±1.8 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 76.3% ±4.0 pts | 66.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.9% ±2.2 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.5% ±0.6 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.1% ±2.4 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 work and get to work?
70.8% of Candelaria's workers drive alone and 14.3% work from home. The average trip to work takes 35.2 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 7.6%.
| Measure | Candelaria | Toa Baja Municipio | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 54.9% ±4.2 pts | 54.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 7.6% ±2.5 pts | 8.2% | −7.6 pts |
| Drove alone to work | 70.8% ±4.4 pts | 72.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 10.7% ±3.0 pts | 10.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 1.0% ±1.2 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Walked | 0.9% ±0.8 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 14.3% ±3.6 pts | 9.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 35.2 min ±3.2 | 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?
4 census tracts lie mostly in Candelaria (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $38,443 (Tract 1220.01) to $49,716 (Tract 1220.02).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 1220.01Toa Baja Municipio | 4,125 | $38,443 |
| Tract 1220.02Toa Baja Municipio | 4,015 | $49,716 |
| Tract 1218.02Toa Baja Municipio | 5,373 | $47,353 |
| Tract 1219Toa Baja Municipio | 2,772 | $38,696 |
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) · Census block assignment files
How does Candelaria compare with other places in Puerto Rico?
Candelaria ranks 10th 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) | 16th | 213 |
| Residents per square mile | 57th | 213 |
| Median household income | 10th | 198 |
| Per capita income | 12th | 211 |
| Median home value | 21st | 204 |
| Median gross rent | 4th | 140 |
| Poverty rate | 193rd | 201 |
| Median age | 155th | 209 |
| Owner-occupied share | 72nd | 212 |
| Work from home | 4th | 29 |
| Travel time to work | 16th | 202 |
Candelaria's figures with every place in Puerto Rico (CSV)
Every place in Puerto Rico, sortable · Compare Candelaria 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?
14 of the 43 figures for Candelaria 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 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.