Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
Area Profile
58,977 residents. Public schools, jobs, income, housing cost, climate and natural-hazard risk for Mayagüez, in Mayagüez Municipio.
How this area ranks
Data updated · 10 sourcesEmployment conditions sit below most comparable cities measured: unemployment is 10.7% and the Opportunity signal places Mayagüez in the bottom 25%. The unemployment rate is published for Mayagüez Municipio, PR, which contains Mayagüez, rather than for Mayagüez alone.
In the public schools here, 28% of students met the state standard in mathematics, with 9.4 students for every teacher.
Rent takes 38% of renter income here, at or above the threshold conventionally called cost-burdened, while buying strains owner incomes less — the median home is 3.8 times what its owners earn, against a historic benchmark near three.
These sentences are written by fixed rules from the measurements below — a statement appears because a number crossed a stated threshold, and the values behind it are stored with it. No figure anywhere on this site is invented, estimated or inferred to fill a gap. How this works.
At a glance
Jobs & opportunity
Unemployment across Mayagüez Municipio, PR, which contains Mayagüez, is 10.7% — higher than in all but 1% of the 4,226 measured US cities.
Employment across Mayagüez Municipio, PR, which contains Mayagüez, grew 4.1% over the past year, to 20,451 employed residents.
Median household income of $17,410 is lower than in 99% of measured US cities.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income ±$9922024 ACS 5-Year | $17,410 | Bottom 1%of 29,223 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income ±$1,0322024 ACS 5-Year | $14,396 | Bottom 3%of 31,420 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 51.9% | Bottom 2%of 31,773 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average commute ±1.2 min2024 ACS 5-Year | 22.8 min | Top 30%of 31,543 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 28.3% | Top 33%of 31,919 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Drove alone to work ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 83.5% | 71st percentileof 31,433 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| EmploymentMayagüez Municipio, PR’s figureJuly 2026 | 20,451 | Bottom 24%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (3 years)Mayagüez Municipio, PR’s figureJuly 2026 | +6.8% | Top 3%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year)Mayagüez Municipio, PR’s figureJuly 2026 | +4.1% | Top 1%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Labor forceMayagüez Municipio, PR’s figureJuly 2026 | 22,891 | 26th percentileof 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Labor force participation ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 63.7% | Bottom 16%of 31,513 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Mean annual wageMayagüez, PR Metro Area’s figure2025 OEWS | $35,140 | Bottom 1%of 3,729 | 2025 OEWS |
| Median annual wageMayagüez, PR Metro Area’s figure2025 OEWS | $25,270 | Bottom 1%of 3,729 | 2025 OEWS |
| Public transit to work ±0.8%2024 ACS 5-Year | 1.1% | 85th percentileof 31,433 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment change (year over year)Mayagüez Municipio, PR’s figureJuly 2026 | +1.3% | Bottom 2%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Unemployment rateMayagüez Municipio, PR’s figureJuly 2026 | 10.7% | Bottom 1%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Worked from home ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 4.8% | 35th percentileof 31,433 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
Median household income, successive ACS releases
Largest occupations — Mayagüez, PR
| Occupation | People employed | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 2,610 | $22,090 |
| Sewing Machine Operators | 2,370 | $21,840 |
| Registered Nurses | 2,070 | $39,280 |
| Cashiers | 1,990 | $21,870 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,730 | $21,840 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,520 | $21,960 |
Searches the 40 largest occupations here that have a published wage.
Occupational employment and wages are published for metropolitan areas rather than for individual cities or ZIP areas, so these describe the wider labor market this location sits in. 2025 OEWS, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish a labor-market series for this place — true of a consolidated city-county, a city and county sharing one government, or a Puerto Rico municipio, regardless of population. This is the figure for Mayagüez Municipio, PR, which contains this city.
28% of students met the state standard in mathematics and 41% in reading, across the schools here that reported results.
There are 9.4 students for every full-time teacher across 15 public schools, fewer than in most measured places.
| School | District | Students | Per teacher | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr Pedro Perea Fajardo | PUERTO RICO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | 888 | 10.8 | 3% | 37% |
| Eugenio Maria De Hostos Mayaguez | PUERTO RICO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | 486 | 11.6 | 12% | 52% |
| Elpidio H. Rivera | PUERTO RICO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | 408 | 10.7 | 13% | 26% |
| Manuel A. Barreto | PUERTO RICO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | 304 | 7.4 | 16% | 31% |
| Esteban Rosado Baez | PUERTO RICO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | 284 | 12.9 | 48% | 40% |
| Jose Gautier Benitez Mayaguez | PUERTO RICO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | 259 | 9.6 | 22% | 29% |
| Luis Munoz Rivera Mayaguez | PUERTO RICO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | 235 | 9.0 | 57% | 42% |
| Maria Dolores Faria | PUERTO RICO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | 235 | 6.7 | 12% | 17% |
| Centro Residencial Oportunidades Educativas Mayaguez (croem) | PUERTO RICO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | 215 | 10.2 | 90% | 90% |
| Mariano Riera Palmer | PUERTO RICO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | 191 | 11.2 | 62% | 42% |
| Elvira Ruperto Quiles | PUERTO RICO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | 190 | 9.0 | 23% | 36% |
| Rafael Martinez Nadal Mayaguez | PUERTO RICO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION | 175 | 9.2 | 52% | 52% |
87.6% of students here are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. That describes the circumstances families arrive with, not how the schools perform, so it is shown and not scored.
Public schools only, from the NCES Common Core of Data, placed by ZIP code — which schools are in this place, not which one a particular address is zoned for. A dash in a proficiency column is a gap in the federal file, not a bad result. Proficiency is measured against Puerto Rico’s own standard, so it is ranked within state. How to read school figures.
Housing & affordability
How it’s calculated — housing affordability →Homeowners here who pay a tax bill pay a median of $741 a year in real estate taxes, about 0.65% of the median home value.
HUD’s Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom, set near the 40th percentile of recent new leases, is $536, some 11% above the $482 tenants already here pay.
At HUD’s Fair Market Rent of $536 a month for a two-bedroom, keeping rent to 30% of income takes a household income of about $21,400 a year, about 123% of the median household income here of $17,410.
The typical renter household here spends 38% of its income on rent, above the 30% threshold at which a household is considered cost-burdened. Median gross rent runs $482 a month.
A median home at $114,000 costs 3.8 times the median income of its owner-occupied households, $30,338, above the historic benchmark of about 3 times income.
The figures above are measured against Mayagüez’s median household income of $17,410, which describes the place rather than you. Enter your own and the ratio is recomputed against it. It stays in this browser.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home price to income ±0.32024 ACS 5-Year | 3.8 | Bottom 20%of 26,815 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 45.3% | 6th percentileof 31,717 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units ±7182024 ACS 5-Year | 35,235 | 99th percentileof 32,177 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Market rent, one bedroomFY2026 | $489 | Top 1%of 4,072 | FY2026 |
| Market rent, three bedroomFY2026 | $689 | Top 1%of 4,072 | FY2026 |
| Market rent, two bedroomFY2026 | $536 | Top 1%of 4,072 | FY2026 |
| Median gross rent ±$182024 ACS 5-Year | $482 | Top 3%of 23,120 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value ±$4,5372024 ACS 5-Year | $114,000 | 25th percentileof 29,111 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median property taxes ±$1112024 ACS 5-Year | $741 | 14th percentileof 26,440 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Owner household income ±$1,7042024 ACS 5-Year | $30,338 | Bottom 2%of 27,548 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Property tax rate ±0.10%2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.65% | 24th percentileof 20,543 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Rent as a share of income ±5%2024 ACS 5-Year | 38.4% | Bottom 13%of 22,950 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Seasonal and second homes ±3242024 ACS 5-Year | 1,752 | 99th percentileof 32,330 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Second homes2024 ACS 5-Year | 5.0% | 80th percentileof 31,895 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacancy rate2024 ACS 5-Year | 23.9% | 92nd percentileof 31,769 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacant housing units ±6262024 ACS 5-Year | 10,159 | 99th percentileof 32,330 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
These measures come from the same ACS release as the income they are compared with. They compare housing cost with local earnings only: transport, groceries, healthcare, insurance and taxes are not in them. How to read affordability, the two rent figures.
Growth & development
How it’s calculated — growth →Development Momentum
An AreaProfile calculation combining permit volume per resident, its direction over one and three years, population change and employment growth. Permit volume alone is not the measure.
New construction is predominantly single-family: of 20 units permitted over the past twelve months, none were in buildings of five or more homes. The multifamily share is published for Mayagüez Municipio, PR, which contains Mayagüez, rather than for Mayagüez alone.
At 0.3 permitted units per 1,000 residents, building activity is below the median for measured US cities. The permit rate is published for Mayagüez Municipio, PR, which contains Mayagüez, rather than for Mayagüez alone.
The Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey lists only jurisdictions that issue their own permits, and Mayagüez, PR is not one. This is the figure for Mayagüez Municipio, PR, which contains this city.
Weather & climate
7 of the twelve months have a normal average temperature between 55°F and 80°F. July averages a high of 90°F and January a low of 68°F.
Normal annual precipitation is 51.3 inches.
Air quality measures a median index of 11, in the Good band, and no day in the year passed 100.
Precipitation
| Metric | Value | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| 90th percentile air quality index2024 calendar year | 26 | 2024 calendar year |
| Annual precipitation1991-2020 Normals | 51.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual snowfall1991-2020 Normals | 0.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low1991-2020 Normals | 68°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average July high1991-2020 Normals | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Comfortable months1991-2020 Normals | 7 | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Days above AQI 1002024 calendar year | 0 | 2024 calendar year |
| Median air quality index2024 calendar year | 11 | 2024 calendar year |
| Seasonal temperature swing1991-2020 Normals | 5°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
Air quality
Climate figures are thirty-year normals, not current conditions. Air quality is measured by EPA monitors and published by county only where a monitor sits; a county without one shows nothing rather than an estimate, and a county reading is still the county’s. How to read climate and air quality.
Physical risk
The hazards accounting for most of this area's expected annual loss are hurricane, earthquake and landslide, with hurricane alone responsible for 44% of it.
Low or minimal exposure: avalanche, coastal flooding, cold wave, drought, hail, heat wave, ice storm, inland flooding, lightning, strong wind, tornado, tsunami, volcanic activity, wildfire, winter weather.
Hazard ratings are AreaProfile calculations derived from the FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0 (December 2025). FEMA publishes at county level. City values are the population-weighted mean of the counties the city overlaps, using AreaProfile place-to-county land-area weights. FEMA does not endorse this presentation. Higher physical resilience means lower exposure.
What this profile does not cover
Each of these is absent for a reason, not by oversight. The Area Score is calculated without them; the weighting is on the methodology page.
- Reported crime
- Offenses reported to police are published by department rather than by town, so AreaProfile shows a rate only on city profiles, and only where that city’s department submitted every month of a year. Either no municipal department reports for this place — many smaller communities are policed by the county — or its department did not report every month of the year. Either way there is no figure to show. A partial year is never scaled up to look complete, and arrest counts or news volume are never substituted for it.
- Cost of living
- Regional price parities are published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for the fifty states, the District of Columbia and their metropolitan areas. Puerto Rico is outside that program.
- Death-certificate rates
- The CDC provisional county file covers the fifty states and the District of Columbia. Puerto Rico is not in it, so the homicide, firearm, overdose and suicide rates shown elsewhere on this site have no counterpart here.
- Taxes
- Income and sales taxes are not published: no source covers them nationally with a method open enough to check. Property taxes are shown in the housing section but are not part of the score. Cost of living is published where the Bureau of Economic Analysis measures it, though not for this place. Nothing here is individualized tax advice.
- Anything about a specific address
- Every figure describes an area, not a street or a house.
Access
2 major airports lie within 100 miles, the nearest Mercedita at 40 miles.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadband access ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 84.7% | Bottom 30%of 31,588 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Distance to major airportNASR current cycle | 40 mi | Bottom 19%of 4,226 | NASR current cycle |
| Major airports within 100 milesNASR current cycle | 2 | Bottom 8%of 4,226 | NASR current cycle |
| No internet access ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 12.5% | Bottom 28%of 31,588 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Airport | Code | Distance | Longest runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedita | PSE | 40 mi | 8,002 ft |
| Luis Munoz Marin Intl | SJU | 77 mi | 10,400 ft |
| Henry E Rohlsen | STX | 158 mi | 10,002 ft |
Airport identity, position and runway data come from the FAA. “Major airport” is an AreaProfile classification — a public-use civil airport with a paved runway of at least 8,000 feet — not an FAA hub designation. Distances are straight-line, not driving distance.
Customize your score
What matters to you?
Choose what you weight most heavily. Nothing is saved to an account — your preferences stay in this browser, and the Area Score never changes.
Select one or more priorities to see how this location scores against them.
Where Mayagüez ranks
Top-ten placements in AreaProfile’s standing rankingsEvery ranking is a standing calculation over all published profiles, not an editorial selection. Each one states its cohort, its inputs and what it excludes.
Other cities in Mayagüez, PR
Same metropolitan area, measured the same way| City | County | Population | Area Score | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hormigueros | Hormigueros Municipio | 10,975 | 46 | Hormigueros vs Mayagüez |
| San Germán | San Germán Municipio | 10,747 | 50 | San Germán vs Mayagüez |
Every city here is measured on the same scale from the same source releases, so the comparison is like for like. A higher Area Score reflects AreaProfile’s standardized weighting rather than a judgment about which is the better place to live.
Similar places
Matched on AreaProfile signals, not geographyCompare
Put Mayagüez side by side with a similar place.
Moving to Mayagüez from somewhere else?
You get the difference in prices, rent and weather, and the income that would keep pace.
Data & methodology
| Used for | Source | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Federal Aviation Administration Airports (NASR) — Aeronautical Data Delivery Service | NASR current cycle |
| Physical risk | Federal Emergency Management Agency National Risk Index | National Risk Index December 2025 (v1.20.0) |
| Climate | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Monthly) | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Jobs | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics | 2025 OEWS |
| Jobs | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics | July 2026 |
| Access, Demographics, Housing, Income, Jobs | U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (Table-Based Summary File) | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Development | U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey | 2025 calendar year |
| Schools | U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data and EDFacts assessments | 2018-19 school year; 2024-25 school year |
| Housing | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research Fair Market Rents | FY2026 |
| Climate | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System Daily Air Quality Index by county | 2024 calendar year |
| Current conditions | NOAA National Weather Service National Weather Service current conditions | Live observation, read when the page opens |
Profile recalculated October 8, 2026. Recalculation is not the same as new source data — each figure above shows the period its source actually covers. Read the full methodology, or every source with how often each updates.
ZIP codes in Mayagüez
2 ZIP areasEvery ZIP area in Mayagüez with census figures of its own, largest first. The ones linked below diverge enough from the city as a whole to carry a full profile; the rest track Mayagüez closely, so their figures are here rather than on a page that would repeat this one. An Area Score is calculated for published profiles only, which is why it is blank on those rows.
| ZIP | Population | Median household income | Median home value | Area Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00680 | 42,689 | $17,896 | $107,400 | — |
| 00682 | 28,977 | $18,793 | $118,100 | — |