Demography, Population, and Ecology Commons^™

Puerto Rican Citizen, Voting-Age Population In 2017, Nashia Roman

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

The share of the Puerto Rican population that is eligible to vote in the United States continues to grow and it is expected to keep growing as a result of the natural growth of the population and after the influx of Puerto Rican migrants settling in the United States after Hurricane Maria. Based on the United States Census Bureau, in 2017, the number of Puerto Ricans in the United States that were eligible to register to vote increased from 3.6 million people in 2015 to more than 3.8 million.

Puerto Rico: One Year After Hurricane Maria, Center For Puerto Rican Studies

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

September 20, 2018 marked a year since hurricane Maria wrought havoc on the island of Puerto Rico. Though the media has reported the crisis in a myriad of ways–for better or worse–our intention here is to provide a timeline of the major occurrences in the aftermath, a meta-analysis of the media’s coverage of the disaster, and an updated account of the exodus of people. The island continues to suffer from a tenuous electric grid, ruined infrastructure, and financial bankruptcy a year after the hurricane; the increase in migratory numbers reflects the limitations that many continue to face on the island. …

Puerto Rican Exodus: One Year Since Hurricane Maria, Jennifer Hinojosa

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

One year since Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, nearly 160,000 residents of the island have relocated to the United States. This exodus represents one of the most significant movements of Puerto Ricans to the U.S. mainland in the island’s history in terms of both volume and duration. The new emigration estimates — of 159,415 with an upper bound confidence interval of 176,603 — is as high as the net migration flow in the previous two years combined (144,801).1

However, measuring population movement in real time, especially after a natural disaster like Hurricane Maria, continues …

Puerto Ricans Keep On Growing! The Puerto Rican Population In The United States Grew At A Rapid Pace Between 2016-2017, Center For Puerto Rican Studies

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

The Puerto Rican population grew in the U.S. from 5.4 million in 2016 to 5.5 million in 2017. Of note is the fact that 2017 is the first time Florida becomes the state of the union with the most Puerto Ricans, according to estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau in its yearly American Community Survey. This can be attributed to three factors: migration from Puerto Rico, internal migration from other U.S. states (especially from the Northeast), and natural growth of the population (greater birth than deaths).

Puerto Rico: Two Years After Hurricane Maria, Center For Puerto Rican Studies

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

Two years since Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, between 220,000 to 255,000 residents of the island have relocated to the United States. This exodus represents one of the most significant movements of Puerto Ricans to the U.S. mainland in the island’s history in terms of both volume and duration. Two-years post-Hurricane Maria, we expect that an estimate of 60,000 to as high as 78,751 left the Island in 2019. One year since Hurricane-Maria, emigration estimates — of 159,415, with an upper bound confidence interval of 176,603 — is as high as the net migration …

The Housing Crisis In Puerto Rico And The Impact Of Hurricane Maria, Jennifer Hinojosa, Edwin Melendez

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

By all counts, Puerto Rico’s housing market is in a deep and prolonged crisis. At least 18 percent of Puerto Rico’s housing stock is vacant as a result of the island’s prolonged economic recession, which commenced in 2006, and the spike in foreclosures after Hurricane Maria suggests that vacant units are increasing at an accelerated rate. Puerto Rico’s economic recession led to depopulation and the loss of jobs, which induced a decline of home equity values and an increase in foreclosures. More recently, Puerto Rico’s housing stock has been damaged due to Hurricane Maria, which devastated the island on September …

Puerto Ricans In Pennsylvania: 2010-2016, Nashia Roman

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

Census Bureau data indicated that, in 2016, Pennsylvania was the state with the fourth most Puerto Ricans (444,263), accounting for 8.2 percent of the Puerto Rican population in the United States. Puerto Ricans accounted for 3.5 percent of the total population in Pennsylvania, and 49.4 percent of the state’s Hispanic or Latino population in 2016. In other words, one in every two Latinos in Pennsylvania was Puerto Rican. As of 2016, the Puerto Rican population was the largest group of Latinos in Pennsylvania, followed by Mexicans (17.7%), Dominicans (11.5%), South Americans (7.1%), Central Americans (6.6%), and Cubans (2.5%). Other Latinos …

Puerto Ricans In Connecticut: 2010-2016, Nashia Roman

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicated that the Puerto Rican population in Connecticut has fluctuated over the past 6 years. Connecticut ranked as the sixth state with the most Puerto Ricans in the United States (298,245). The Puerto Rican population in Connecticut rose from 252,972 in 2010 to 298,245 in 2016. In 2016, Puerto Ricans accounted for 8.3 percent of the total population in Connecticut and 53 percent of the state’s Hispanic or Latino population making it the largest Latino-origin group in the state. Moreover, Latinos accounted for 15.7 percent of Connecticut’s population in 2016, up from 13.4 percent …

Storm Surge: Report On The Findings From The Hartford Foundation For Public Giving Survey On Impact Of Post- Maria Displacement Of Puerto Ricans And U.S. Virgin Islanders On Households In The Greater Hartford Region, February, Carlos Vargas-Ramos, Charles R. Venator-Santiago

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico as a category 4 cyclone, with minimum sustained winds blowing at 145 mph, peaking at 155 mph as it made landfall. The northwest trajectory of the storm assured that the entire island would be affected by its effects. One month henceforth, the island’s authorities indicate that 49 people had died as a direct result of the hurricane. The Puerto Rican government figures indicated 64 deaths were directly related to the hurricane, even though journalistic accounts pointed to more than 1,000 deaths and a Harvard University Study estimated the count at 4,645.1 …

Puerto Ricans In New York: 2010-2016, Nashia Roman

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

Recent Census Bureau data revealed that, in 2016, the state of New York had the largest concentration of Puerto Ricans in the United States (1,081,110). New York and Florida were the only states with more than one million Puerto Ricans during this year. Puerto Ricans accounted for 5.5 percent of the total population in New York, and 28.8 percent of the state’s Hispanic or Latino population in 2016. The state of New York has one of the most diverse Latino populations in the country. As of 2016, Puerto Ricans were largest group of Latinos in New York, followed by Dominicans …

Puerto Ricans In The United States: 2010–2016, Nashia Roman

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

The Puerto Rican population in the United States continues to grow in the 21st century. Between 2010 and 2016, the Puerto Rican population in the U.S. grew by nearly 18 percent, increasing from about 4.6 million to almost 5.5 million. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, in 2016, Puerto Ricans accounted for 1.7 percent of the total U.S population and 9.5 percent of the nation’s Latino population. The rate of growth of stateside Puerto Ricans (17.9%) was more than three times the rate of the U.S. population as a whole (4.7%). Stateside Puer-to Ricans also had a higher rate of …

New Estimates: 135,000+ Post-Maria Puerto Ricans Relocated To Stateside, Center For Puerto Rican Studies

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

Based on school enrollment data, we estimate that more than 135,000 Puerto Ricans relocated to the United States six months after Hurricane Maria landed in Puerto Rico. Prior estimates of the magnitude of this exodus are based on movement of passenger or projections based on recent migration trends from Puerto Rico to the United States.

Puerto Ricans In Florida: 2010-2016, Nashia Roman

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2016, Florida had the second largest concentration of Puerto Ricans in the United States (1,067,747) after New York (1,081,110). Florida and New York were the only states with more than one million Puerto Ricans during this year. Puerto Ricans accounted for 5.2 percent of the total population in Florida, and 20.8 percent of the state’s Hispanic or Latino population in 2016. In other words, one in every five Latinos in Florida was Puerto Rican. The state of Florida has one of the most diverse Latino populations in the country. As of 2016, the …

Post-Hurricane Maria Exodus From Puerto Rico And School Enrollment In Florida, Edwin Melendez, Jennifer Hinojosa, Nashia Roman

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

Hurricane Maria’s impact on Puerto Rico and its population has led to a significant exodus to the United States, especially to the state of Florida. Prior estimates of the magnitude of this exodus have been based on movement of passengers or statistical projections based on recent migration trends from Puerto Rico to the United States. In this report, we use post-Hurricane Maria school enrollment data from Florida school districts to assess the population flows from Puerto Rico. School enrollment data is considered a more reliable indicator of permanent migration than other data currently available.

Estimates Of Post-Hurricane Maria Exodus From Puerto Rico, Edwin Melendez, Jennifer Hinojosa

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

Hurricane Maria’s impact on Puerto Rico and its population is unprecedented. Though it is difficult to find comparable situations, we estimate that between 114,000 and 213,000 Puerto Rico residents will leave the island annually in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. From 2017 to 2019, we estimate that Puerto Rico may lose up to 470,335 residents or 14% of the population. In other words, Puerto Rico will lose the same population in a span of a couple of years after Hurricane Maria as the island lost during a prior decade of economic stagnation. Our projections indicate that Florida is the state …

Puerto Ricans Continue To Grow In 2016, Center For Puerto Rican Studies

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

The Puerto Rican population grew in the U.S. from 5.3 million in 2015 to 5.4 million in 2016. Recently, released data from the 2016 American Community Survey showed Puerto Ricans (1.4%) and Latinos overall (1.6%) were among the fastest growing population groups in the United States, compared to non-Hispanic whites (0%), non-Hispanic blacks (0.3%), and the total U.S. population (0.5%). Latinos account for more than half of total population growth in the U.S.

Puerto Rican Housing Characteristics, Jennifer Hinojosa

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

This research brief reviews housing characteristics among the Puerto Rican population in the United States. Puerto Ricans are compared to Hispanics overall, non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and the nation’s total population. Data from the 2007 and 2014 American Community Survey (1-year estimates) are used to analyze and compare regional and national housing characteristics.1 Housing characteristics, such as housing tenure, costs, and conditions, are discussed.

Puerto Ricans In Florida, 2015, Center For Puerto Rican Studies

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

In 2015, Florida had the second largest concentration of Puerto Ricans in the United States (1,069,446) after New York (1,084,872). Florida and New York were the only states with more than one million Puerto Ricans during this year. Puerto Ricans accounted for 5.3 percent of the total population in Florida, but 21.5 percent of the state’s Latino population in 2015. In other words, one in every five Latinos in Florida was Puerto Rican.

Some Social Differences On The Basis Of Race Among Puerto Ricans, Carlos Vargas-Ramos

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

Puerto Ricans are a multiracial people. This is given by the fact that the Puerto Rican population is composed of people from different categories of socially differentiated and defined racial groups, and also because not an insignificant number of Puerto Rican individuals share ancestry derived from multiple racial groups. Yet, the analysis of social difference and inequities among Puerto Ricans on the basis of physical difference is largely avoided, and when it is conducted its findings are often neglected.

Puerto Rican Households In The U.S., Eric Franqui-Rivera

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

In 2014 there were an estimated 1.56 million Puerto Rican households in the United States. These households accounted for 1.3 percent of all 116.2 million households in the U.S. and 11 percent of all 14.1 million Hispanic households in the U.S. Married male-female couples and single female households each accounted for over a third of Puerto Rican households (36.4% and 36.5%, respectively) with the third largest householder group being that of single males (17.9%). Unmarried male-female and same-sex households, including married and unmarried, accounted for 8.5 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively, of Puerto Rican households in the U.S.

Recent Trends In Puerto Rican Electoral And Civic Engagement In The United States, Carlos Vargas-Ramos

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

PresiThe political participation and civic engagement rates of Puerto Ricans in the United States are lower than those of the population as a whole and specific subpopulation groups (e.g., non- Hispanic whites and blacks), but they are comparable to those of other Latinos. 70 60 50 40 30 20 2000* 2002 2004* 2006 2008* 2010 2012* 2014 puerto ricans non-hispanics hispanics total These facts are not new, but rather they follow a decades-long pattern (Fraga et al. 2010; De La Garza et al. 1992; Calvo and Rosenstone 1989; Vargas-Ramos 2003). At the same time, recent data on political participation show …

Military Service: Migration And A Path To Middle Class Status, Harry Franqui-Rivera

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

The role of military service in spreading the Puerto Rican diaspora is an understudied phenomenon of relevance for understanding the Puerto Rican migration and its settlement patterns in the U.S. Active duty military personnel, veterans, and their families have dispersed the Puerto Rican population beyond what has been considered as traditional centers of Puerto Rican migration. New York, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts continue to host the largest populations of Puerto Ricans stateside. But large Puerto Rican communities have formed and are thriving around military bases in el Nuevo South (the former original confederate states), the Midwest, and Western …

Puerto Rican Population Grows 2% In 2015, Center For Puerto Rican Studies

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

The Puerto Rican population grew in the U.S. from 5.2 million in 2014 to 5.3 million in 2015. Recently released data from the 2015 American Community Survey showed Puerto Ricans (2%) and Latinos overall (2.2%) were among the fastest growing population groups in the United States, compared to non-Hispanic blacks (0.84%), non-Hispanic whites (0.06%), and the total U.S. population (0.80%).

The Puerto Rican Citizen, Voting-Age Population, Center For Puerto Rican Studies

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

The share of the Puerto Rican population that is eligible to vote in the United States continued to grow. Based on calculations of newly released survey data from the U.S. Census Bureau for 2015, the number of Puerto Ricans in the United States that were eligible to register to vote increased to 3.7 million people.

Puerto Ricans In California, The United States, And Puerto Rico, 2014, Center For Puerto Rican Studies

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

In 2014, an estimated 200,000 Puerto Ricans lived in California, accounting for four percent of all Puerto Ricans living in the United States. Hispanics represented 38.6 percent of California’s population, but Puerto Ricans accounted for only 0.5 percent of California’s total population. Despite the relatively low proportion of Puerto Ricans, California had the eighth highest number of Puerto Ricans in the United States.

Puerto Ricans In Virginia, The United States, And Puerto Rico, 2014, Center For Puerto Rican Studies

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

In 2014, Virginia had the 11th largest Puerto Rican population in the United States with 92,319 Puerto Ricans, accounting for 1.8 percent of all Puerto Ricans living in the United States. From 2000 to 2014, the number of Puerto Ricans in Virginia more than doubled from 41,131 to 92,319.

Puerto Ricans In North Carolina, The United States, And Puerto Rico, 2014, Center For Puerto Rican Studies

CUNY Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies

In 2014 an estimated 89,212 Puerto Ricans lived in North Carolina and accounted for 1.7% of all Puerto Ricans living in the United States. The number of Puerto Ricans in North Carolina almost tripled from 31,117 in the year 2000 to 89,212 in 2014.