In 2024, New Jersey had the fourth largest concentration of Puerto Ricans in the United States (484,119), after Florida (1,302,970), New York (1,001,051) and Pennsylvania (492,463). Puerto Ricans accounted for 5.1 percent of the total population in New Jersey. Nearly one in every five Hispanics in New Jersey was Puerto Rican.

The state of New Jersey has one of the most diverse Hispanic populations in the country. In 2024, Puerto Ricans (21.7%) were one of the largest Hispanic groups in New Jersey along with South Americans (24.2%). Between both groups they comprise slightly under half of the Hispanic population. Dominicans (17.5%), followed by Central Americans (14.8%), Mexicans (12.1%), Others (5.3%), and Cubans (4.3%) comprised the remaining Hispanic population.

The Hispanic population in New Jersey grew by 43.4 percent between 2010 and 2024. In the same period, Puerto Ricans grew by 11.5 percent. Among all Hispanics in New Jersey, Puerto Ricans had a considerably low rate of growth, compared to other Hispanic groups, which collectively grew by 55.7 percent.

Migration

Migration from Puerto Rico

Between 2006 and 2023, more than 42,000 Puerto Ricans from Puerto Rico migrated to New Jersey. Over the past decade, waves of Puerto Rican migrants from Puerto Rico have been moving into the Garden State, averaging over 3,000 Puerto Ricans between 2010 and 2014. In 2015, only 1,752 Puerto Ricans from Puerto Rico migrated into New Jersey, the lowest amount since 2007. Since 2015, the number of Puerto Ricans migrating from Puerto Rico into New Jersey increased steadily until 2018. Between 2017 and 2018, as Puerto Rico struggled to recover from the impact of Hurricane Maria more than 7,000 Puerto Ricans made their way from Puerto Rico to New Jersey. However, since 2018, the number of Puerto Ricans migrating from Puerto Rico into New Jersey has fluctuated significantly. In 2019, only 985 Puerto Ricans from Puerto Rico migrated to New Jersey. Two years later, in 2021, the number of migrants had increased by about 110% (2,068). By the following year, in 2022, the number of migrants decreased to 1,052 and even drastically further to 270 in 2023.

Interstate Migration

A considerable amount of Puerto Ricans from other states have also migrated to New Jersey. Over the past decade more than 76,000 Puerto Ricans have relocated to the Garden State from other U.S. states. The largest wave was in 2017 when 12,428 stateside Puerto Ricans made their way into New Jersey. Since 2021, the number of stateside Puerto Ricans migrating to New Jersey has decreased. In 2023, 4,008 stateside Puerto Ricans moved to New Jersey, nearly one in four of them moving from New York.

Top 10 Destination States for Stateside Puerto Rican Migrants, 2023:

• New York: 984 (24.6%)
• Illinois: 831 (20.7%)
• Pennsylvania: 753 (18.8%)
• Florida: 460 (11.5%)
• Georgia: 322 (8.0%)
• Michigan: 190 (4.7%)
• Washington: 157 (3.9%)
• New Mexico: 131 (3.3%)
• Massachusetts: 79 (2.0%)
• Texas: 51 (1.3%)

The following sections describe selected socioeconomic characteristics, such as education, employment, income and earnings, poverty, housing, health care, and entrepreneurship of the Puerto Rican population in New Jersey in 2024, compared to Hispanics overall, non-Hispanic Whites, and non-Hispanic Blacks in the state of New Jersey. All in all, inequality gaps exist between non-Hispanic Whites and minority groups in the state of New Jersey, in terms of, educational attainment, income and wages, occupational attainment, poverty rates, access to housing, and, health insurance coverage. Overall, Puerto Ricans in New Jersey had lower educational attainment levels, yet comparable labor force participation rates and slightly higher unemployment rates, lower household median income and mean earnings, and higher poverty rates compared to the state’s overall population.

Age, Education, and Language

Age

Data shows that Puerto Ricans, along with Hispanics, were the youngest groups in New Jersey in 2024. Comparatively, the median age of Puerto Ricans in New Jersey (36.1 years) was slightly higher than for Hispanics (33.3 years). Non-Hispanic Whites (46.5 years) had the highest median age in New Jersey, followed by non-Hispanic Blacks (38.0 years) in 2024. New Jersey’s overall population median age was 40.1 years in 2024. The median age among Puerto Ricans in New Jersey was higher than that of stateside Puerto Ricans (33.3 years).

The proportion of Hispanics who were minors (28.2%) was the highest followed by Puerto Ricans (27.5%) in New Jersey in 2024. Non-Hispanic Blacks (21.7%) and non-Hispanic Whites (17.5%) had the lowest proportion of minors. The proportion of Puerto Ricans between 18 to 34 years (20.7%) was slightly higher than that of non-Hispanic Whites (19.0%), but lower than Hispanics (24.4%), and non-Hispanic Blacks (24.0%). The proportion of Puerto Ricans between 35 to 64 years (38.5%) was slightly lower than that of non-Hispanic Whites (39.2%) and non-Hispanic Blacks (39.9%), but higher than Hispanics (37.8%).

The proportion of the 65 years and over population that was Puerto Rican in New Jersey (13.2%) was lower than that of non-Hispanic Whites (24.4%) and non-Hispanic Blacks (14.4%) but higher than the overall Hispanic population (9.6%). Compared to the Puerto Rican stateside population (11.5%), the 65 year and over Puerto Rican population was slightly higher in New Jersey. The age distribution of the Puerto Rican community in New Jersey has significant implications for the educational system and the labor market in the state.

Educational Attainment

Overall, New Jersey’s Puerto Rican population was overrepresented among those with less than a high school education and underrepresented among those with bachelor’s degree or more, relative to the state’s overall population in 2024. This educational gap leads to greater hardship in the labor market, in terms of obtaining higher earnings and income. The Puerto Rican population in New Jersey, 25 years and older, with less than a high school diploma (17.3%) was close to double that of the total population in New Jersey (9.6%). Hispanics (24.9%) had the highest proportion of population with less than a high school diploma, followed by Puerto Ricans, non-Hispanic Blacks (10.8%) and non-Hispanic Whites (4.1%) in 2024. Compared to Puerto Ricans in New Jersey, stateside Puerto Ricans had a slightly lower proportion of 25 years or older with less than a high school diploma (15.5%).

In 2024, the proportion of Puerto Ricans in New Jersey with a High School diploma or equivalent (35.9%) were shown to be higher than for the stateside Puerto Rican population (30.3%). Puerto Ricans in New Jersey also had a slightly higher proportion of people with High School diplomas or equivalent than the overall Hispanic population (31.0%) and the non-Hispanic Black population (31.9%). Puerto Ricans in New Jersey had a considerably larger proportion of the population with a high school diploma or equivalent than non-Hispanic Whites (24.2%) and the total state population (24.7%).

The proportion of Puerto Ricans in New Jersey with some college or associate degree (26.5%) was higher than the overall Hispanic population (21.6%), non-Hispanic Whites (21.6%), and the total population of the state (21.1%). Non-Hispanic Blacks in New Jersey (26.8%) had the highest percentage of those with some college or associate degree in comparison with the other groups. Puerto Ricans in New Jersey had a lower proportion of their population with some college or associate degree than the stateside Puerto Rican population (30.1%).

Those with a bachelor’s degree or higher represented a smaller share of the Puerto Rican population in New Jersey (20.3%) than it did for the overall Hispanic population of the state (22.5%) and non-Hispanic Blacks (30.6%). The proportion of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher for non-Hispanic Whites (50.0%) and the total state population (44.5%) were more than double the proportion for the Puerto Rican population. Compared to the total stateside Puerto Rican population (24.0%), Puerto Ricans in New Jersey had a slightly lower proportion of their population with a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Data shows that Puerto Rican females (23.8%) comprised a significantly larger proportion of the population with a bachelor’s degree or higher than Puerto Rican males (16.5%) within the state. Similar patterns can be seen across the overall Hispanic population and the non-Hispanic Black population in New Jersey. Nevertheless, the proportion of Puerto Rican females in New Jersey with a bachelor’s degree or higher was lower than the proportion of females for the overall Hispanic population (25.4%), non-Hispanic Blacks (32.7%), non-Hispanic Whites (50.3%), and the total state population (45.4%). The gap among males and females for stateside Puerto Ricans is also similar to Puerto Ricans in New Jersey, with males comprising 20.6 percent of the population and females 27.2 percent with a bachelor’s degree or higher.

School Enrollment

Over four in ten Puerto Ricans, three years of age and over, in New Jersey (28.4%) were enrolled in some level of school in 2024. The percentage for Puerto Ricans in New Jersey was higher than the percentage of non-Hispanic Whites (20.6%), non-Hispanic Blacks (25.7%), and the overall state population (24.3%) enrolled in school but slightly lower than the overall Hispanic population (28.9%). Compared to stateside Puerto Ricans (28.9%), Puerto Ricans in New Jersey enrolled in school were similarly represented.

School enrollment is measured for the population three years and over by the U.S. Census Bureau. The proportion of Puerto Ricans in New Jersey enrolled in nursery school or preschool (8.6%) was higher to the proportion of non-Hispanic Blacks (7.4%), Hispanics (7.7%), non-Hispanic Whites (7.7%), and the total state population (7.6%) in 2024. The percentage of Puerto Ricans in New Jersey enrolled in nursery school or preschool was also higher to the stateside Puerto Rican population (6.4%). In 2024, those enrolled in kindergarten comprised 4.1 percent of the school enrolled Puerto Rican population in New Jersey. This percentage is lower than non-Hispanic Whites (4.7%), the total state population (5.1%), Hispanics (5.3%) and non-Hispanic Blacks (5.6%). 

Enrollment in elementary school (grades 1-8) comprised the largest proportion of the school enrolled population across all the groups considered. For Puerto Ricans in New Jersey, those enrolled in elementary school comprised 44.5 percent of the enrolled population. The proportion is similar to the proportion Puerto Ricans enrolled in elementary school across all states (43.4%) and Hispanics in New Jersey (43.3%). The proportion of Puerto Ricans in New Jersey enrolled in elementary school is higher than the total population of New Jersey (39.7%), non-Hispanic Whites (38.2%), and non-Hispanic Blacks (37.2%). 

Those enrolled in high school (grades 9 to 12) and above comprised larger proportions of the enrolled population across the board than those enrolled in kindergarten and nursery school. The proportion of Puerto Ricans in New Jersey enrolled in high school (23.7%), in 2024, was  slightly higher across the board. They were followed by Hispanics (22.7%), non-Hispanic Blacks (22.1%), non-Hispanic Whites (21.4%), and the total state population (21.6%). The proportion of Puerto Ricans in New Jersey enrolled in high school was slightly higher than the proportion of stateside Puerto Ricans (22.5%). Among those enrolled in college or graduate school, the proportion of Puerto Ricans in New Jersey (19.1%) was slightly lower than the proportion for stateside Puerto Ricans (22.4%) and also the lowest from other groups considered.

Language

The percentage of Puerto Ricans in New Jersey (46.9%) that speak only English was slightly higher than stateside Puerto Ricans that only speak English (45.8%). In 2024, 53.1 percent of Puerto Ricans in New Jersey indicated they speak a language other than English. This is slightly lower than the percent for stateside Puerto Ricans (54.2%). Among Puerto Ricans in New Jersey, 15.3 percent indicated they speak English less than “very well”, which was slightly lower than for stateside Puerto Ricans (15.9%). These numbers contrast with the Hispanic population in New Jersey, which 24.4% only speak English, 75.6 percent speak a language other than English, and 36.9 percent speak English less than “very well”.

Employment, Occupations, and Class of Worker

Employment

Of the population 16 years and over, 65.6 percent of Puerto Ricans in New Jersey were in the labor force in 2024. This is slightly higher than the percentage for Puerto Ricans in the U.S. (64.5%). Compared to other groups, Puerto Ricans had a higher percentage in the labor force than non-Hispanic Whites (63.8%) yet lower than the total state population (66.9%), non-Hispanic Blacks (67.3%), and Hispanics (71.5%), which had the largest labor force percentage. The population in the labor force is divided into civilian labor force and armed forces, where Puerto Ricans in New Jersey (0.3%) had a slightly higher percentage than other groups except Puerto Ricans in the U.S. (0.8%). Puerto Ricans in New Jersey not in the labor force (34.4%), in 2024, were shown to be less than the percentage for non-Hispanic Whites (36.2%) and non-Hispanic Blacks (32.7%). Hispanics in New Jersey (28.5%) were shown to have the lowest percentage of those not in the labor force population in comparison to the other groups. Puerto Ricans in New Jersey had a lower percentage of those not in the labor force compared to the stateside Puerto Rican population (35.5%) yet slightly higher to the total state population (33.1%) in New Jersey.

Among Puerto Ricans in New Jersey in the civilian labor force, 61.2 percent were said to be employed while 4.1 percent were unemployed but looking for work. This is similar to stateside Puerto Ricans, which had 63.7 percent of the civilian population employed and 4.1 percent unemployed but looking for work. The percentage of Puerto Ricans in New Jersey employed was lower than the Hispanic population (66.5%) and the total state population while non-Hispanic Whites (61.1%) and non-Hispanic Blacks (61%) had slightly smaller percentages of their population employed in 2024.

Occupations

Females comprised a smaller percentage of the civilian employed population in 2024 across all groups, except for the non-Hispanic Black population in comparison to males. For Puerto Rican females in New Jersey, a higher proportion was employed in the “management, business, science, and arts” (40.1%) and “sales and office” occupations (31.0%). Although a significant portion was also employed in “service” occupations. The proportion of Puerto Rican females in New Jersey in “management, business, science, and arts” occupations (40.1%%) was comparatively lower than non-Hispanic Whites (57.7%), non-Hispanic Blacks (43.3%), and the total female population of New Jersey (51.2%). Only Hispanic females (32.3%) had a lower percentage in the “management, business, science, and arts” occupation than Puerto Rican females. Comparatively, Puerto Rican females in New Jersey in the “sales and office” occupations (30.1%) had a higher percentage than non-Hispanic Whites (25.9%), non-Hispanic Blacks (25.3%), Hispanics (24.6%), and the total female population of New Jersey (24.4%). Puerto Rican females in New Jersey in the “sales and office” occupation were also slightly higher than the percentage for Puerto Rican females across the U.S (27.1%). Puerto Rican females in New Jersey were also represented in the production, transportation, and moving occupations (7.6%) where only Hispanic females (15.0%) represented a higher share.

Puerto Rican males in New Jersey were mostly employed in the “management, business, science, and arts” (28.6%) and “production, transportation, and moving” (25.6%) occupations. Puerto Rican males in New Jersey employed in the “production, transportation, and moving” occupations had a higher percentage (25.6%) than other groups considered except for the Hispanic population (26.0%). The proportion of Puerto Rican males in New Jersey employed in “service” occupations (17.7%) was higher in comparison with the non-Hispanic White population (10.3%) and the total state male population (13.0%) but lower than non-Hispanic Black males (18.1%) and Hispanic males (19.3%). For the “sales and office” occupations, Puerto Rican males, non-Hispanic Black males, and the total state male population (15.3%) were of equal proportion. And in the “natural resources, construction and maintenance” occupations only non-Hispanic Black males (9.8%) had a lower proportion than Puerto Rican males in New Jersey (12.9%).

Between Puerto Rican females and Puerto Rican males in New Jersey, data shows a larger percentage of females occupied in “management, business, science, and arts” (40.1%) and “sales and office occupations” (31.0%) sectors. Significant percentages of males were employed in these sectors (28.6% and 15.3% respectively) but high percentages of Puerto Rican males were also seen in the “production, transportation, and moving” (25.6%) occupations. Puerto Rican males and females in New Jersey had similar percentages for those in “service occupations” (17.7% and 20.2% respectively).

Class of Worker

Data for 2024 shows that the Puerto Rican civilian employed population, 16 years of age and over, in New Jersey who were self employed comprised only 3.8 percent of the population. The only other group that had a lower percentage than Puerto Ricans in New Jersey was non-Hispanic Blacks in the state (3.2%). Compared to Puerto Ricans across the U.S. (4.1%), self employed Puerto Ricans in New Jersey represented a slightly higher percentage of the civilian employed population 16 years and over. Across all groups, the largest share of the civilian employed population was concentrated in the private wage and salary worker sector. Puerto Ricans in New Jersey in the private wage and salary worker sector represented 80.9 percent of the total employed Puerto Rican population in the state. The share of Puerto Ricans in this sector is higher than for non-Hispanic Whites (78.6%), non-Hispanic Blacks (76.2%), and the total state population (80.7%) but smaller than that for the Hispanic population in the state (83.9%). Non-Hispanic Blacks had the highest share of population employed as government workers (20.5%), followed by non-Hispanic Whites (16.0%) and Puerto Ricans (15.1%) . Puerto Ricans in New Jersey employed as government workers comprised a slightly smaller share compared to Puerto Ricans across the U.S. (15.3%).

Income and Earnings

Household income can serve as an important indicator of well being. It also serves as a way to determine how different racial or ethnic groups fare compared to one another. In 2024, the population of New Jersey had a median household income of $104,294. Income inequalities are evident in New Jersey across different racial groups. Between the three major racial/ethnic groups, Hispanics fared the worst with a median household income of $75,448, while the non-Hispanic Black population was slightly higher at $76,652, and non-Hispanic Whites fared the best at $117,670. New Jersey’s Puerto Rican population fared even worse than Hispanics, with a median household income of $72,234. This is more than $45,000 less than non-Hispanic Whites and over $30,000 less than the total population of the state. Nevertheless, Puerto Ricans in New Jersey fared better than Puerto Ricans across the whole U.S., who had a median household income of $64,509.

Income inequality is also evident in per capita income. Non-Hispanic Whites in New Jersey had the largest per capita income ($66,202) followed by the total state population ($53,818), non-Hispanic Blacks ($37,956), Puerto Ricans ($34,976) and the overall Hispanic population ($30,671). Per capita income for Puerto Ricans in New Jersey was nearly $19,000 less than for the total state population. Similar to median household income, per capita income for Puerto Ricans in New Jersey was slightly higher than for the Puerto Rican population in the U.S. ($31,701) in 2024.

Income inequality can also be seen among the differences in income between males and females. Data for mean earnings for full time, year round workers in 2024 shows that males had higher earnings than females across all groups in New Jersey. Mean earnings for Puerto Rican females working full time, year round ($68,645) was higher than non-Hispanic Black females ($67,184) and Hispanic females ($59,494), but significantly lower than the total female population of New Jersey ($85,128) and non-Hispanic White females ($94,905). Puerto Rican males working full time, year round were similar in comparison to other groups who had lower mean earnings ($78,239) than non-Hispanic White males ($135,058) and the total state male population ($114,447) yet higher than non-Hispanic Black males ($77,937) and Hispanic males ($68,997). Puerto Rican males in New Jersey had a higher mean earnings than Puerto Rican males across the U.S. ($72,690). Puerto Rican females in New Jersey also fared slightly better than Puerto Rican females across the U.S. ($61,953).

Overall, there is a large difference in mean earnings between males and females in New Jersey ($27,549). Among racial groups, non-Hispanic Whites had the largest difference in mean earnings between males and females ($40,153) followed by non-Hispanic Blacks ($10,753), Puerto Ricans ($9,594) and Hispanics ($9,503). The difference between male and female mean earnings for Puerto Ricans in New Jersey was slightly lower than Puerto Ricans across the U.S. ($10,737).

The proportion of Puerto Ricans in New Jersey receiving cash public assistance was 5.1 percent. This is higher than the total state population (2.1%), non-Hispanic Whites (1.2%), Hispanics (3.5%), and non-Hispanic Blacks (4.2%). Stateside Puerto Ricans (5.9%) showed a higher proportion of receiving cash public assistance in 2024 than Puerto Ricans in New Jersey.

The proportion of Puerto Ricans in New Jersey receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in 2024 was 23.5 percent, 14.4 percentage points higher than the overall population in New Jersey (9.1%). Puerto Rican households in New Jersey are more likely to have received SNAP relative to other groups. In New Jersey, 19.5 percent of Hispanic households, 17.8 percent of non-Hispanic Blacks, and 4.2 percent of non-Hispanic Whites received SNAP benefits. Compared to stateside Puerto Ricans (26.5%), a lesser percentage of Puerto Rican households in New Jersey received SNAP benefits.

Poverty

In 2024, Puerto Ricans in New Jersey were among the most impoverished in the state. Poverty rates for Puerto Rican families (12.2%) were significantly higher than the overall population of the state (6.5%) and non-Hispanic Whites (3.5%). Puerto Rican families also had a higher poverty rate than non-Hispanic Black families (9.4%) but slightly lower than Hispanic families (13.4%). Nevertheless, Puerto Rican families in New Jersey had a lower poverty rate than stateside Puerto Rican families (15.1%) in 2024.

Data shows that Puerto Rican families with related children under 18 years of age (15.3%) had notably higher poverty rates than that of the total population (9.8%). Puerto Rican families with related children under 18 years of age, in New Jersey, had a poverty rate three times higher than that of non-Hispanic White families (4.9%). Hispanic families with related children under 18 years (18.2%) had slightly higher poverty rates than Puerto Rican families while non-Hispanic Blacks had slightly lower poverty rates (13.4%). Stateside Puerto Ricans with related children under 18 years (20.6%) were shown to have higher poverty rates than Puerto Rican families in New Jersey.

In 2024, the poverty rate among all Puerto Ricans in New Jersey (15.9%) was nearly equal to the Hispanic population (16.0%) but notably higher compared to the other groups. The poverty rate among non-Hispanic White population (5.7%) and total state population (9.2%) were the lowest among the group. Puerto Ricans across the U.S. (18.5%) were shown to have higher poverty rates than Puerto Ricans in New Jersey. 

The poverty rate among Puerto Ricans in New Jersey, under 18 years of age, was 19.1 percent. In other words, nearly one in every five Puerto Rican minors in New Jersey were living in poverty. Puerto Rican minors in New Jersey had a higher poverty rate than non-Hispanic Blacks (16.1%), the total state population (11.7%), and non-Hispanic Whites (5.8%). Hispanics in the same age group (20.5%) however were shown to have a slightly higher poverty rate than Puerto Ricans. Puerto Rican minors across the U.S. (22.6%) were shown to have higher poverty rates than Puerto Rican minors in New Jersey.

In 2024, female-headed households with related children under 18 years of age and no spouse present in the household had one of the highest poverty rates. Hispanic female-headed households with children, no spouse present, in New Jersey had the highest poverty rate (31.4%), followed by the state’s overall population (25.4%), Puerto Ricans (24.2%), non-Hispanic Blacks (22.4%), and non-Hispanic Whites (16.7%). Poverty rates for stateside Puerto Rican female-headed households with children, no spouse present (38.2%), were significantly higher than for Puerto Ricans in New Jersey. In other words, more than one in three Puerto Rican female-headed households with children, no spouse present were living in poverty.

Housing

Homeownership can serve as a measure of financial stability. In 2024, 63.9 percent of the New Jersey population were homeowners. The largest percentage of homeowners was among non-Hispanic Whites (76.7%) while the smallest percentage was among the Hispanic population (40.7%). Puerto Ricans in New Jersey had a slightly higher percentage of homeowners (47.5%) than both Hispanics and non-Hispanic Blacks (43.1%). The percentage of Puerto Ricans in New Jersey that were homeowners in 2024 was also slightly higher than the percentage of stateside Puerto Rican homeowners (46.1%).

Median home value for New Jersey’s total population for 2024 was $461,000. Median home value was highest among non-Hispanic Whites ($508,300) and lowest for Puerto Ricans ($388,400). For Puerto Ricans in New Jersey, median home values were a little over $40,000 higher than for stateside Puerto Ricans ($347,000). More Puerto Ricans in New Jersey (37.0%) reported using “30 percent or more” of their household income towards monthly mortgage payments than the total population of the state (32.0%). The percentage for Puerto Ricans in New Jersey was also higher than the percentage for stateside Puerto Ricans (35.3%).

In 2024, Hispanics (59.3%) were the group most likely to be renters, followed by non-Hispanic Blacks (56.9%), Puerto Ricans (52.5%), total state population (36.1%), and non-Hispanic Whites (23.3%). Median gross rent for New Jersey’s total population ($1,800) was only exceeded by non-Hispanic Whites ($1,884). Hispanics ($1,728) had the second highest median gross rent in the state, followed by non-Hispanic Blacks ($1,594) and Puerto Ricans ($1,526). Among renters, Puerto Ricans (58.9%) had the second highest percentage of those using 30 percent or more of monthly household income towards monthly rental rates. Hispanics (59.1%) had the largest share of renters using 30 percent or more of monthly household income towards monthly rental rates, followed by non-Hispanic Blacks (56.6%), total state population (52.2%), and non-Hispanic Whites (48.4%). The proportion of stateside Puerto Ricans that reported using 30 percent or more of monthly household income towards monthly rental rates (57.7%) was lower than Puerto Ricans in New Jersey.

Healthcare

The debates and issues surrounding the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) continue to raise concerns about accessibility and affordability to health care services in the U.S., let alone in New Jersey, with new challenges emerging more than a decade later. As discussed in the previous sections, Puerto Ricans are among the fastest growing groups in the nation as well as in the state of New Jersey. There are two general forms of health insurance coverage: private and government health insurance coverage. Note that New Jersey adopted and implemented the Medicaid expansion under the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Any Health Plans versus Uninsured

As of 2024, 93.9 percent of Puerto Ricans in New Jersey had some form of health care insurance coverage while the remaining 6.1% were uninsured. Non-Hispanic Whites (97.1%) were the group with the highest percent of people with some form of health care insurance coverage, followed by Puerto Ricans (93.9%), the total state population (92.3%), non-Hispanic Blacks (92.2%), and Hispanics (80.8%). Puerto Ricans in New Jersey showed higher rates of health insurance coverage than stateside Puerto Ricans (92.5%).

The rate of uninsured Puerto Ricans in New Jersey (6.1%) in 2024 was considerably lower than for the Hispanic population (19.2%), non-Hispanic Blacks (7.8%), and overall state population (7.7%) but higher than non-Hispanic Whites (2.9%).

Private versus Public Health Insurance Coverage

Private health insurance coverage can be obtained through an employer/union or one can directly purchase through a health insurance company. Note one can have dual coverage, meaning both public and private health insurance. In 2024, 61.7 percent of Puerto Ricans in New Jersey were covered with private health insurance while 40.6 percent had government health insurance coverage. Non-Hispanic Whites (79.4%) had the highest percentage with private health insurance coverage relative to the overall state population (70.5%), non-Hispanic Blacks (62.5%), Puerto Ricans (61.7%), and Hispanics (50.6%). Puerto Ricans had the highest percentage with public health insurance coverage (40.6%) followed by non-Hispanic Blacks (39.5%), Hispanics (35.4%), non-Hispanic Whites (33.5%), and the overall state population (33.0%).