Caño Martin Peña vs Carolina

Which is the better fit for you?

Caño Martin Peña, PR
45
Area Score
Bottom 9% nationally
Carolina, PR
50
Area Score
Bottom 20% nationally

Want a third or fourth place beside these? Open them in the shortlist and add more.

Carolina receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Caño Martin Peña to Carolina

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Everyday prices
The Bureau of Economic Analysis publishes no regional price index for Caño Martin Peña or Carolina, so nothing here is estimated in its place.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Needs a price index for both places.
A new two-bedroom lease
The same
HUD benchmarks it at $663 in Carolina against $663 in Caño Martin Peña.
The median home
50% more
$158,400 in Carolina against $105,400 in Caño Martin Peña.
The weather you would swap
Winters 2°F colder
Normal January lows are 70°F in Carolina against 72°F in Caño Martin Peña; July highs are 88°F against 89°F (summers 1°F cooler).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Caño Martin Peña
Carolina
Opportunity: Carolina is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
51 · Bottom 39%
vs
57 · Top 48%
Growth: Caño Martin Peña is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
39 · Bottom 28%
vs
36 · Bottom 24%
Climate: Carolina is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
69 · Bottom 45%
vs
77 · Top 23%
Physical resilience: Caño Martin Peña is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
17 · Bottom 11%
vs
10 · Bottom 4%
Housing affordability: Carolina is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
42 · Bottom 12%
vs
68 · Top 47%
Schools: Carolina is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
46 · Bottom 45%
vs
47 · Bottom 47%
Access
97 · Top 31%
vs
97 · Top 31%
Economic stability: Carolina is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
9 · Bottom 1%
vs
27 · Bottom 7%

Measured values

MetricCaño Martin PeñaCarolinaSource period
Population11,618138,6332024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$19,149$37,726 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$13,156$22,436 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Population density16,887/sq mi6,693/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$105,400$158,4002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$578 — more favorable$6772024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$663$663FY2026
Homeownership rate53.3%67.3%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate4.5% — more favorable4.8%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)+2.8%+2.8%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher12.6%37.0% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate59.6%27.2% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)92142025 calendar year
Permits per 1,000 residents0.3 — more favorable0.12025 calendar year
Permit change (year over year)−55.8%−12.5%2025 calendar year
Average July high89°F88°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low72°F70°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation59.9"65.2"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport3 mi2 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute26.6 min — more favorable33.0 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age47.445.32024 ACS 5-Year
Students per teacher9.3 — more favorable9.82024-25 school year
Math proficiency27.4%29.5% — more favorable2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency43.7% — more favorable38.2%2018-19 school year

A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Physical risk tradeoff

Caño Martin Peña

Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.

Carolina

Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Caño Martin Peña
—
Caño Martin Peña: Your Score
45
Area Score
Carolina
—
Carolina: Your Score
50
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Caño Martin Peña, PR · Carolina, PR · How this is calculated: methodology