Carolina vs Guaynabo

Which is the better fit for you?

Carolina, PR
50
Area Score
Bottom 20% nationally
Guaynabo, PR
55
Area Score
Bottom 35% nationally

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

Guaynabo 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 Carolina to Guaynabo

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Everyday prices
The Bureau of Economic Analysis publishes no regional price index for Carolina or Guaynabo, 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 Guaynabo against $663 in Carolina.
The median home
55% more
$246,200 in Guaynabo against $158,400 in Carolina.
The weather you would swap
Winters 4°F colder
Normal January lows are 66°F in Guaynabo against 70°F in Carolina; July highs are 90°F against 88°F (summers 2°F hotter).

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

Carolina
Guaynabo
Opportunity: Guaynabo is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
57 · Top 48%
vs
79 · Top 10%
Growth: Carolina is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
36 · Bottom 24%
vs
28 · Bottom 12%
Climate: Guaynabo is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
77 · Top 23%
vs
79 · Top 19%
Physical resilience: Carolina is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
10 · Bottom 4%
vs
6 · Bottom 1%
Housing affordability: Guaynabo is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
68 · Top 47%
vs
72 · Top 33%
Schools: Guaynabo is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
47 · Bottom 47%
vs
55 · Top 43%
Access
97 · Top 31%
vs
97 · Top 31%
Economic stability: Guaynabo is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
27 · Bottom 7%
vs
29 · Bottom 9%

Measured values

MetricCarolinaGuaynaboSource period
Population138,63370,5992024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$37,726$57,272 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$22,436$38,412 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Population density6,693/sq mi5,860/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$158,400$246,2002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$677 — more favorable$1,0042024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$663$663FY2026
Homeownership rate67.3%72.2%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate4.8%3.5% — more favorableJuly 2026
Employment change (year over year)+2.8% — more favorable+2.7%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher37.0%57.2% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate27.2%21.4% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)14532025 calendar year
Permits per 1,000 residents0.10.6 — more favorable2025 calendar year
Permit change (year over year)−12.5%−87.7%2025 calendar year
Average July high88°F90°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low70°F66°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation65.2"75.9"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport2 mi — more favorable8 miNASR current cycle
Average commute33.0 min26.3 min — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age45.345.92024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools2042024-25 school year
Students per teacher9.89.7 — more favorable2024-25 school year
Math proficiency29.5%31.6% — more favorable2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency38.2%39.6% — more favorable2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility87.1%86.8%2024-25 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

Carolina

Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.

Guaynabo

Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, hurricane, landslide.

Your best match

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

Carolina
—
Carolina: Your Score
50
Area Score
Guaynabo
—
Guaynabo: Your Score
55
Area Score

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

Full profiles: Carolina, PR · Guaynabo, PR · How this is calculated: methodology