Puerto Rico vs. Detroit

Puerto Rico vs. Detroit

Published on September 12, 2013

Sergio portrait
Policy Director
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No one cared much about Detroit until the Dow collapsed in 2008…Suddenly the eyes of the nation turned back upon this postindustrial sarcophagus, where crime and corruption and mayhem played themselves out in the corridors of power and on the powerless streets…Detroit, which once led the nation in home ownership, is now a foreclosure capital. Its downtown is a museum of ghost skyscrapers. Trees and switch grass and wild animals have come back to reclaim their rightful places. Coyotes are here…

Once the nation’s richest city, Detroit is now its poorest.  It is the country’s illiteracy and dropout capital, where children must leave their books at school and bring toilet paper from home.  It is the unemployment capital, where half the adult population does not work a consistent job.  There are firemen with no boots, cops with no cars, teachers with no pencils, city council council members with telephones tapped by the FBI, and too many grandmothers with no tears left to give.

 – Charlie LeDuff, Detroit: An American Autopsy (2013)

A lot of ink has been spilt lately comparing Puerto Rico with the City of Detroit.  We at the Center for a New Economy actually did that analysis a few months ago.  The comparison was not flattering to Puerto Rico. If you look at indicators such as per capita income, poverty rates, labor force participation, and mean and median household income, Detroit actually has an edge over Puerto Rico.

Having said that, it is also true that things are not as bad in Puerto Rico when compared with what Charlie LeDuff describes in his book Detroit: An American Autopsy (2013), the source of the quotations at the beginning of this post.  Nonetheless, Puerto Rico is well on its way to becoming the Detroit of the Caribbean, a desolate, post-industrial wasteland, with massive poverty, high crime rates, dysfunctional government institutions, and a rapidly shrinking and aging population.  Puerto Rico still has time to avoid that fate but we have to radically change our ways of doing things–fast.

For those who prefer to see the data for themselves I have reproduced below Table DP03 — Selected Economic Characteristics, comparing Puerto Rico and the City of Detroit, using data from the 2011 American Community Survey executed by the U.S. Census.  You can run your own comparisons by going to the American Factfinder2 site on the U.S. Census web page.

Table DP03

SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS  
2011 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates 

Although the American Community Survey (ACS) produces population, demographic and housing unit estimates, it is the Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program that produces and disseminates the official estimates of the population for the nation, states, counties, cities and towns and estimates of housing units for states and counties.

Subject Puerto Rico Detroit city, Michigan
Estimate Margin of Error Percent Percent Margin of Error Estimate Margin of Error Percent Percent Margin of Error
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
Population 16 years and over 2,942,799 +/-3,081 2,942,799 (X) 545,745 +/-3,489 545,745 (X)
In labor force 1,354,801 +/-10,914 46.0% +/-0.4 288,482 +/-6,248 52.9% +/-1.1
Civilian labor force 1,352,971 +/-11,013 46.0% +/-0.4 288,482 +/-6,248 52.9% +/-1.1
Employed 1,102,866 +/-11,341 37.5% +/-0.4 203,993 +/-6,510 37.4% +/-1.2
Unemployed 250,105 +/-7,757 8.5% +/-0.3 84,489 +/-5,380 15.5% +/-1.0
Armed Forces 1,830 +/-634 0.1% +/-0.1 0 +/-167 0.0% +/-0.1
Not in labor force 1,587,998 +/-11,492 54.0% +/-0.4 257,263 +/-6,125 47.1% +/-1.1
Civilian labor force 1,352,971 +/-11,013 1,352,971 (X) 288,482 +/-6,248 288,482 (X)
Percent Unemployed (X) (X) 18.5% +/-0.5 (X) (X) 29.3% +/-1.7
Females 16 years and over 1,560,664 +/-3,097 1,560,664 (X) 293,438 +/-3,169 293,438 (X)
In labor force 641,904 +/-8,291 41.1% +/-0.5 152,951 +/-4,663 52.1% +/-1.4
Civilian labor force 641,718 +/-8,247 41.1% +/-0.5 152,951 +/-4,663 52.1% +/-1.4
Employed 526,067 +/-7,708 33.7% +/-0.5 113,941 +/-4,375 38.8% +/-1.5
Own children under 6 years 255,218 +/-3,937 255,218 (X) 56,157 +/-2,472 56,157 (X)
All parents in family in labor force 152,592 +/-5,797 59.8% +/-2.2 35,414 +/-2,912 63.1% +/-4.3
Own children 6 to 17 years 582,852 +/-4,322 582,852 (X) 113,787 +/-3,798 113,787 (X)
All parents in family in labor force 353,613 +/-9,325 60.7% +/-1.5 75,975 +/-4,195 66.8% +/-3.4
COMMUTING TO WORK
Workers 16 years and over 1,060,138 +/-10,821 1,060,138 (X) 197,750 +/-6,534 197,750 (X)
Car, truck, or van — drove alone 849,235 +/-10,770 80.1% +/-0.7 137,494 +/-4,943 69.5% +/-1.6
Car, truck, or van — carpooled 93,373 +/-5,004 8.8% +/-0.5 24,098 +/-2,657 12.2% +/-1.3
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 31,256 +/-3,254 2.9% +/-0.3 19,257 +/-2,454 9.7% +/-1.1
Walked 40,128 +/-3,483 3.8% +/-0.3 5,946 +/-1,189 3.0% +/-0.6
Other means 19,744 +/-2,684 1.9% +/-0.3 5,440 +/-1,440 2.8% +/-0.7
Worked at home 26,402 +/-2,997 2.5% +/-0.3 5,515 +/-1,172 2.8% +/-0.6
Mean travel time to work (minutes) 29.7 +/-0.4 (X) (X) 27.7 +/-0.8 (X) (X)
OCCUPATION
Civilian employed population 16 years and over 1,102,866 +/-11,341 1,102,866 (X) 203,993 +/-6,510 203,993 (X)
Management, business, science, and arts occupations 343,821 +/-9,592 31.2% +/-0.8 47,548 +/-3,259 23.3% +/-1.4
Service occupations 223,128 +/-6,847 20.2% +/-0.6 59,339 +/-4,089 29.1% +/-1.7
Sales and office occupations 303,815 +/-8,280 27.5% +/-0.7 49,665 +/-3,508 24.3% +/-1.5
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 109,387 +/-5,690 9.9% +/-0.5 13,072 +/-1,712 6.4% +/-0.8
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 122,715 +/-5,769 11.1% +/-0.5 34,369 +/-2,402 16.8% +/-1.2
INDUSTRY
Civilian employed population 16 years and over 1,102,866 +/-11,341 1,102,866 (X) 203,993 +/-6,510 203,993 (X)
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 15,212 +/-1,858 1.4% +/-0.2 664 +/-362 0.3% +/-0.2
Construction 69,157 +/-5,181 6.3% +/-0.5 7,585 +/-1,209 3.7% +/-0.6
Manufacturing 101,644 +/-5,283 9.2% +/-0.5 23,230 +/-2,325 11.4% +/-1.2
Wholesale trade 29,348 +/-2,854 2.7% +/-0.3 3,700 +/-1,033 1.8% +/-0.5
Retail trade 152,078 +/-6,518 13.8% +/-0.6 18,700 +/-2,329 9.2% +/-1.1
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 40,149 +/-3,136 3.6% +/-0.3 12,227 +/-1,804 6.0% +/-0.8
Information 21,584 +/-2,457 2.0% +/-0.2 4,037 +/-961 2.0% +/-0.5
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 59,498 +/-4,620 5.4% +/-0.4 10,089 +/-1,714 4.9% +/-0.8
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 98,040 +/-5,170 8.9% +/-0.4 19,996 +/-2,170 9.8% +/-1.1
Educational services, and health care and social assistance 255,028 +/-8,221 23.1% +/-0.7 56,005 +/-3,655 27.5% +/-1.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services 92,324 +/-5,902 8.4% +/-0.5 26,490 +/-3,066 13.0% +/-1.4
Other services, except public administration 62,831 +/-4,615 5.7% +/-0.4 10,770 +/-1,638 5.3% +/-0.8
Public administration 105,973 +/-5,062 9.6% +/-0.5 10,500 +/-1,447 5.1% +/-0.7
CLASS OF WORKER
Civilian employed population 16 years and over 1,102,866 +/-11,341 1,102,866 (X) 203,993 +/-6,510 203,993 (X)
Private wage and salary workers 730,605 +/-10,931 66.2% +/-0.7 168,716 +/-5,881 82.7% +/-1.3
Government workers 261,517 +/-8,673 23.7% +/-0.8 27,707 +/-2,522 13.6% +/-1.1
Self-employed in own not incorporated business workers 108,755 +/-6,022 9.9% +/-0.5 7,385 +/-1,358 3.6% +/-0.7
Unpaid family workers 1,989 +/-686 0.2% +/-0.1 185 +/-181 0.1% +/-0.1
INCOME AND BENEFITS (IN 2011 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Total households 1,256,151 +/-8,804 1,256,151 (X) 253,629 +/-5,276 253,629 (X)
Less than $10,000 372,186 +/-7,248 29.6% +/-0.5 56,067 +/-3,337 22.1% +/-1.2
$10,000 to $14,999 154,338 +/-5,688 12.3% +/-0.5 26,517 +/-2,385 10.5% +/-0.9
$15,000 to $24,999 235,752 +/-6,723 18.8% +/-0.5 43,449 +/-2,665 17.1% +/-1.0
$25,000 to $34,999 153,129 +/-5,640 12.2% +/-0.4 33,250 +/-2,222 13.1% +/-0.8
$35,000 to $49,999 141,635 +/-5,689 11.3% +/-0.4 35,434 +/-2,494 14.0% +/-1.0
$50,000 to $74,999 115,922 +/-5,819 9.2% +/-0.5 31,009 +/-2,266 12.2% +/-0.9
$75,000 to $99,999 39,391 +/-3,237 3.1% +/-0.3 13,542 +/-1,402 5.3% +/-0.5
$100,000 to $149,999 28,719 +/-2,729 2.3% +/-0.2 9,919 +/-1,435 3.9% +/-0.6
$150,000 to $199,999 8,626 +/-1,451 0.7% +/-0.1 3,117 +/-871 1.2% +/-0.3
$200,000 or more 6,453 +/-1,098 0.5% +/-0.1 1,325 +/-470 0.5% +/-0.2
Median household income (dollars) 18,660 +/-358 (X) (X) 25,193 +/-806 (X) (X)
Mean household income (dollars) 28,865 +/-552 (X) (X) 35,709 +/-991 (X) (X)
With earnings 738,808 +/-9,295 58.8% +/-0.6 155,793 +/-4,623 61.4% +/-1.3
Mean earnings (dollars) 34,430 +/-727 (X) (X) 38,168 +/-1,424 (X) (X)
With Social Security 534,710 +/-7,229 42.6% +/-0.5 82,548 +/-2,619 32.5% +/-0.9
Mean Social Security income (dollars) 11,379 +/-131 (X) (X) 14,775 +/-369 (X) (X)
With retirement income 176,771 +/-4,882 14.1% +/-0.4 51,799 +/-2,610 20.4% +/-1.0
Mean retirement income (dollars) 13,463 +/-725 (X) (X) 19,680 +/-1,820 (X) (X)
With Supplemental Security Income 5,547 +/-1,043 0.4% +/-0.1 33,684 +/-2,306 13.3% +/-0.9
Mean Supplemental Security Income (dollars) 8,204 +/-923 (X) (X) 8,479 +/-363 (X) (X)
With cash public assistance income 70,703 +/-3,477 5.6% +/-0.3 21,860 +/-1,887 8.6% +/-0.8
Mean cash public assistance income (dollars) 2,024 +/-77 (X) (X) 3,785 +/-367 (X) (X)
With Food Stamp/SNAP benefits in the past 12 months 471,272 +/-8,107 37.5% +/-0.6 104,099 +/-3,989 41.0% +/-1.4
Families 903,660 +/-10,060 903,660 (X) 145,224 +/-3,759 145,224 (X)
Less than $10,000 220,666 +/-5,978 24.4% +/-0.6 25,296 +/-2,364 17.4% +/-1.4
$10,000 to $14,999 100,839 +/-4,746 11.2% +/-0.5 13,627 +/-1,723 9.4% +/-1.2
$15,000 to $24,999 178,714 +/-6,139 19.8% +/-0.6 23,640 +/-1,992 16.3% +/-1.4
$25,000 to $34,999 121,548 +/-5,233 13.5% +/-0.6 18,535 +/-1,815 12.8% +/-1.2
$35,000 to $49,999 116,260 +/-5,037 12.9% +/-0.5 22,756 +/-1,989 15.7% +/-1.4
$50,000 to $74,999 95,256 +/-4,656 10.5% +/-0.5 20,262 +/-1,812 14.0% +/-1.2
$75,000 to $99,999 32,828 +/-2,887 3.6% +/-0.3 10,047 +/-1,223 6.9% +/-0.8
$100,000 to $149,999 24,560 +/-2,574 2.7% +/-0.3 7,611 +/-1,201 5.2% +/-0.8
$150,000 to $199,999 7,216 +/-1,366 0.8% +/-0.2 2,620 +/-796 1.8% +/-0.5
$200,000 or more 5,773 +/-1,102 0.6% +/-0.1 830 +/-401 0.6% +/-0.3
Median family income (dollars) 22,043 +/-426 (X) (X) 30,524 +/-1,229 (X) (X)
Mean family income (dollars) 32,063 +/-705 (X) (X) 40,860 +/-1,511 (X) (X)
Per capita income (dollars) 10,555 +/-185 (X) (X) 13,965 +/-447 (X) (X)
Nonfamily households 352,491 +/-8,347 352,491 (X) 108,405 +/-4,298 108,405 (X)
Median nonfamily income (dollars) 10,955 +/-345 (X) (X) 18,345 +/-1,134 (X) (X)
Mean nonfamily income (dollars) 18,104 +/-706 (X) (X) 27,238 +/-1,457 (X) (X)
Median earnings for workers (dollars) 16,427 +/-201 (X) (X) 19,400 +/-890 (X) (X)
Median earnings for male full-time, year-round workers (dollars) 22,529 +/-514 (X) (X) 35,322 +/-2,418 (X) (X)
Median earnings for female full-time, year-round workers (dollars) 22,117 +/-324 (X) (X) 30,175 +/-866 (X) (X)
HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE
Civilian noninstitutionalized population 3,680,339 +/-638 3,680,339 (X) 700,334 +/-1,254 700,334 (X)
With health insurance coverage 3,399,698 +/-12,873 92.4% +/-0.4 563,318 +/-5,970 80.4% +/-0.8
With private health insurance 1,500,631 +/-24,828 40.8% +/-0.7 263,916 +/-10,730 37.7% +/-1.5
With public coverage 2,123,860 +/-26,437 57.7% +/-0.7 371,213 +/-9,095 53.0% +/-1.3
No health insurance coverage 280,641 +/-12,928 7.6% +/-0.4 137,016 +/-5,738 19.6% +/-0.8
Civilian noninstitutionalized population under 18 years 875,489 +/-141 875,489 (X) 183,699 +/-3,516 183,699 (X)
No health insurance coverage 34,493 +/-3,935 3.9% +/-0.4 9,920 +/-2,320 5.4% +/-1.3
Civilian noninstitutionalized population 18 to 64 years 2,246,412 +/-820 2,246,412 (X) 434,570 +/-3,186 434,570 (X)
In labor force: 1,310,766 +/-10,320 1,310,766 (X) 274,201 +/-5,691 274,201 (X)
Employed: 1,067,217 +/-10,512 1,067,217 (X) 195,181 +/-6,071 195,181 (X)
With health insurance coverage 935,092 +/-10,867 87.6% +/-0.6 140,704 +/-6,213 72.1% +/-1.8
With private health insurance 675,054 +/-11,790 63.3% +/-1.0 113,592 +/-5,752 58.2% +/-2.0
With public coverage 280,970 +/-10,576 26.3% +/-1.0 31,287 +/-2,890 16.0% +/-1.4
No health insurance coverage 132,125 +/-7,112 12.4% +/-0.6 54,477 +/-3,520 27.9% +/-1.8
Unemployed: 243,549 +/-7,687 243,549 (X) 79,020 +/-5,033 79,020 (X)
With health insurance coverage 204,057 +/-7,414 83.8% +/-1.4 43,812 +/-3,846 55.4% +/-3.3
With private health insurance 40,604 +/-3,322 16.7% +/-1.2 12,191 +/-1,943 15.4% +/-2.4
With public coverage 165,838 +/-6,598 68.1% +/-1.6 33,234 +/-3,211 42.1% +/-2.6
No health insurance coverage 39,492 +/-3,490 16.2% +/-1.4 35,208 +/-3,378 44.6% +/-3.3
Not in labor force: 935,646 +/-10,160 935,646 (X) 160,369 +/-5,671 160,369 (X)
With health insurance coverage 865,044 +/-11,460 92.5% +/-0.5 123,565 +/-4,825 77.1% +/-1.8
With private health insurance 282,155 +/-8,894 30.2% +/-0.9 41,844 +/-3,153 26.1% +/-1.9
With public coverage 621,762 +/-11,283 66.5% +/-0.9 93,367 +/-4,522 58.2% +/-2.2
No health insurance coverage 70,602 +/-4,593 7.5% +/-0.5 36,804 +/-3,428 22.9% +/-1.8
PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES AND PEOPLE WHOSE INCOME IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS IS BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL
All families (X) (X) 41.7% +/-0.8 (X) (X) 35.5% +/-1.8
With related children under 18 years (X) (X) 51.7% +/-1.2 (X) (X) 49.3% +/-2.9
With related children under 5 years only (X) (X) 50.0% +/-2.6 (X) (X) 54.8% +/-6.9
Married couple families (X) (X) 30.2% +/-1.0 (X) (X) 18.8% +/-2.4
With related children under 18 years (X) (X) 33.9% +/-1.7 (X) (X) 29.7% +/-4.6
With related children under 5 years only (X) (X) 34.5% +/-4.0 (X) (X) 27.9% +/-12.3
Families with female householder, no husband present (X) (X) 58.4% +/-1.3 (X) (X) 46.4% +/-2.6
With related children under 18 years (X) (X) 68.6% +/-1.8 (X) (X) 59.1% +/-3.5
With related children under 5 years only (X) (X) 67.4% +/-4.1 (X) (X) 66.9% +/-8.4
All people (X) (X) 45.6% +/-0.7 (X) (X) 40.9% +/-1.7
Under 18 years (X) (X) 57.5% +/-1.4 (X) (X) 57.3% +/-3.5
Related children under 18 years (X) (X) 57.3% +/-1.4 (X) (X) 57.1% +/-3.5
Related children under 5 years (X) (X) 61.5% +/-2.1 (X) (X) 62.7% +/-5.2
Related children 5 to 17 years (X) (X) 56.0% +/-1.5 (X) (X) 55.0% +/-3.5
18 years and over (X) (X) 41.9% +/-0.7 (X) (X) 35.1% +/-1.4
18 to 64 years (X) (X) 42.6% +/-0.8 (X) (X) 37.9% +/-1.6
65 years and over (X) (X) 39.0% +/-0.9 (X) (X) 20.4% +/-2.1
People in families (X) (X) 43.9% +/-0.9 (X) (X) 39.7% +/-2.2
Unrelated individuals 15 years and over (X) (X) 56.1% +/-1.3 (X) (X) 45.3% +/-2.0
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey

Explanation of Symbols:

  1. An ‘**’ entry in the margin of error column indicates that either no sample observations or too few sample observations were available to compute a standard error and thus the margin of error. A statistical test is not appropriate.
  2. An ‘-‘ entry in the estimate column indicates that either no sample observations or too few sample observations were available to compute an estimate, or a ratio of medians cannot be calculated because one or both of the median estimates falls in the lowest interval or upper interval of an open-ended distribution.
  3. An ‘-‘ following a median estimate means the median falls in the lowest interval of an open-ended distribution.
  4. An ‘+’ following a median estimate means the median falls in the upper interval of an open-ended distribution.
  5. An ‘***’ entry in the margin of error column indicates that the median falls in the lowest interval or upper interval of an open-ended distribution. A statistical test is not appropriate.
  6. An ‘*****’ entry in the margin of error column indicates that the estimate is controlled. A statistical test for sampling variability is not appropriate.
  7. An ‘N’ entry in the estimate and margin of error columns indicates that data for this geographic area cannot be displayed because the number of sample cases is too small.
  8. An ‘(X)’ means that the estimate is not applicable or not available.