Municipalities of Puerto Rico facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Municipalities of Puerto Rico

Location	Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Number	78
Populations	From 1,818 pop. in Culebra to 395,326 pop. in San Juan
Areas	From 4.84 square miles (12.5 km²) in Cataño to 125.95 square miles (326.2 km²) in Arecibo
Government	Mayor–council government
Subdivisions	Barrio

The municipalities of Puerto Rico (in Spanish: municipios de Puerto Rico) are like the main local areas or "counties" of Puerto Rico. There are 78 of these areas, and they cover all the towns and cities. Each municipality has a leader called a mayor and a group of elected officials called a municipal legislature. These leaders are chosen by the people every four years.

Each municipality is also divided into smaller parts called barrios. These barrios are like neighborhoods or districts, but they don't have their own political power. The way municipalities are run is set by a law called the Autonomous Municipalities Act of 1991, which gives them more control over their own services.

Some municipalities are big cities, while others are smaller towns. If a municipality has more than 50,000 people, it's usually called a city. If it has fewer, it's called a town. Cities often manage their own services, like trash collection or public safety. Smaller towns might get some of these services from nearby cities.

For official counts, like the U.S. Census, Puerto Rico's municipalities are treated like counties in the United States. The municipality with the most people is San Juan, which is also the capital. The smallest in population is Culebra. In terms of size, Arecibo is the largest, and Cataño is the smallest.

Every municipality has a main area called pueblo or barrio-pueblo. This is usually the oldest part of the municipality, where the main government buildings and town center are located. In bigger municipalities, the main urban area might include several barrios.

How Puerto Rico's Municipalities Work
The 78 Municipalities
- Puerto Rico's Largest Municipalities by Population
Money Matters: How Municipalities Handle Their Budgets
Ideas for Changing Municipalities
See also

How Puerto Rico's Municipalities Work

Puerto Rico used to be a Spanish territory until 1898. Because of this, its local government system is more similar to countries in Latin America than to the United States. Instead of counties, Puerto Rico has 78 municipalities as its main local government units. The U.S. Census Bureau counts these municipalities as "county equivalents."

In 1991, the Autonomous Municipalities Act was passed. This law gave Puerto Rican municipalities more rights and responsibilities. The goal was to give local areas more control and improve public services.

Almost every municipality is made up of smaller areas called barrios. The only exception is Florida, which has just one barrio. Ponce has the most barrios, with 31!

Most municipalities have a main urban area, which is often called "Barrio Pueblo" if it's just one barrio. But in larger municipalities, the urban area can be made up of many barrios. For example, Ponce's urban area includes 12 barrios. San Juan is unique because all of its barrios are urban, meaning the entire municipality is one big city area.

The 78 Municipalities

Puerto Rico is divided into 78 municipalities. Here is a list of some of them, showing their location, flags, and coats of arms:

Municipalities of Puerto Rico
Name	Location	Flag	Coat of Arms	Title	FIPS code	Population (2020)	Population (2010)	Area	Founded	Barrios
Adjuntas				Town	001	18,020	19,483	66.69 sq mi (172.73 sq km)	1815	List
Aguada				Town	003	38,136	41,959	30.85 sq mi (79.90 sq km)	1639	List
Aguadilla				City	005	55,101	60,949	36.53 sq mi (94.61 sq km)	1775	List
Aguas Buenas				Town	007	24,223	28,659	30.08 sq mi (77.92 sq km)	1838	List
Aibonito				Town	009	24,637	25,900	31.31 sq mi (81.10 sq km)	1824	List
Añasco				Town	011	25,596	29,261	39.29 sq mi (101.75 sq km)	1733	List
Arecibo				City	013	87,754	96,440	125.95 sq mi (326.20 sq km)	1616	List
Arroyo				Town	015	15,843	19,575	15.01 sq mi (38.87 sq km)	1855	List
Barceloneta				Town	017	22,657	24,816	18.69 sq mi (48.41 sq km)	1881	List
Barranquitas				Town	019	28,983	30,318	34.25 sq mi (88.71 sq km)	1803	List
Bayamón				City	021	185,187	208,116	44.32 sq mi (114.80 sq km)	1772	List
Cabo Rojo				Town	023	47,158	50,917	70.37 sq mi (182.27 sq km)	1771	List
Caguas				City	025	127,244	142,893	58.60 sq mi (151.77 sq km)	1775	List
Camuy				Town	027	32,827	35,159	46.35 sq mi (120.06 sq km)	1807	List
Canóvanas				Town	029	42,337	47,648	32.87 sq mi (85.12 sq km)	1909	List
Carolina				City	031	154,815	176,762	45.32 sq mi (117.38 sq km)	1816	List
Cataño				Town	033	23,155	28,140	4.84 sq mi (12.55 sq km)	1927	List
Cayey				Town	035	41,652	48,119	51.93 sq mi (134.51 sq km)	1773	List
Ceiba				Town	037	11,307	13,631	29.04 sq mi (75.20 sq km)	1838	List
Ciales				Town	039	16,984	18,782	66.53 sq mi (172.31 sq km)	1820	List
Cidra				Town	041	39,970	43,480	36.02 sq mi (93.29 sq km)	1809	List
Coamo				Town	043	34,668	40,512	78.10 sq mi (202.27 sq km)	1579	List
Comerío				Town	045	18,883	20,778	28.40 sq mi (73.56 sq km)	1826	List
Corozal				Town	047	34,571	37,142	42.57 sq mi (110.26 sq km)	1795	List
Culebra				Town	049	1,792	1,818	11.62 sq mi (30.10 sq km)	1880	List
Dorado				Town	051	35,879	38,165	23.09 sq mi (59.80 sq km)	1842	List
Fajardo				Town	053	32,124	36,993	29.86 sq mi (77.34 sq km)	1772	List
Florida				Town	054	11,692	12,680	15.21 sq mi (39.39 sq km)	1971	List
Guánica				Town	055	13,787	19,427	37.05 sq mi (95.96 sq km)	1914	List
Guayama				Town	057	36,614	45,362	64.99 sq mi (168.32 sq km)	1736	List
Guayanilla				Town	059	17,784	21,581	42.27 sq mi (109.48 sq km)	1833	List
Guaynabo				City	061	89,780	97,924	27.58 sq mi (71.43 sq km)	1769	List
Gurabo				Town	063	40,622	45,369	27.89 sq mi (72.23 sq km)	1815	List
Hatillo				Town	065	38,486	41,953	41.78 sq mi (108.21 sq km)	1823	List
Hormigueros				Town	067	15,654	17,250	11.34 sq mi (29.37 sq km)	1874	List
Humacao				City	069	50,896	58,466	44.75 sq mi (115.90 sq km)	1722	List
Isabela				Town	071	42,943	45,631	55.30 sq mi (143.23 sq km)	1819	List
Jayuya				Town	073	14,779	16,642	44.53 sq mi (115.33 sq km)	1911	List
Juana Díaz				Town	075	46,538	50,747	60.28 sq mi (156.12 sq km)	1798	List
Juncos				Town	077	37,012	40,290	26.49 sq mi (68.61 sq km)	1797	List
Lajas				Town	079	23,334	25,753	59.95 sq mi (159.15 sq km)	1883	List
Lares				Town	081	28,105	30,753	61.45 sq mi (159.15 sq km)	1827	List
Las Marías				Town	083	8,874	9,881	46.36 sq mi (120.07 sq km)	1871	List
Las Piedras				Town	085	35,180	38,675	33.88 sq mi (87.75 sq km)	1773	List
Loíza				Town	087	23,693	30,060	19.37 sq mi (50.17 sq km)	1719	List
Luquillo				Town	089	17,781	20,068	25.81 sq mi (66.85 sq km)	1797	List
Manatí				Town	091	39,492	44,113	46.13 sq mi (119.48 sq km)	1738	List
Maricao				Town	093	4,755	6,276	36.62 sq mi (94.85 sq km)	1874	List
Maunabo				Town	095	10,589	12,225	21.07 sq mi (54.57 sq km)	1799	List
Mayagüez				City	097	73,077	89,080	77.65 sq mi (201.11 sq km)	1760	List
Moca				Town	099	37,460	40,109	50.34 sq mi (130.38 sq km)	1772	List
Morovis				Town	101	28,727	32,610	38.87 sq mi (100.67 sq km)	1818	List
Naguabo				Town	103	23,386	26,720	51.66 sq mi (133.80 sq km)	1821	List
Naranjito				Town	105	29,241	30,402	27.40 sq mi (70.97 sq km)	1824	List
Orocovis				Town	107	21,434	23,423	63.62 sq mi (164.78 sq km)	1825	List
Patillas				Town	109	15,985	19,277	46.7 sq mi (120.95 sq km)	1811	List
Peñuelas				Town	111	20,399	24,282	44.62 sq mi (115.57 sq km)	1793	List
Ponce				City	113	137,491	166,327	114.76 sq mi (297.23 sq km)	1692	List
Quebradillas				Town	115	23,638	25,919	22.68 sq mi (58.74 sq km)	1823	List
Rincón				Town	117	15,187	15,200	14.29 sq mi (37.01 sq km)	1771	List
Río Grande				Town	119	47,060	54,304	60.62 sq mi (157.01 sq km)	1840	List
Sabana Grande				Town	121	22,729	25,265	35.83 sq mi (92.80 sq km)	1813	List
Salinas				Town	123	25,789	31,078	69.37 sq mi (179.67 sq km)	1851	List
San Germán				Town	125	31,879	35,527	54.50 sq mi (141.15 sq km)	1573	List
San Juan				City	127	342,259	395,326	47.85 sq mi (123.93 sq km)	1519	List
San Lorenzo				Town	129	37,693	41,058	53.11 sq mi (137.55 sq km)	1811	List
San Sebastián				Town	131	39,345	42,430	70.42 sq mi (182.39 sq km)	1752	List
Santa Isabel				Town	133	20,281	23,274	34.02 sq mi (88.119 sq km)	1842	List
Toa Alta				City	135	66,852	74,066	27.02 sq mi (69.98 sq km)	1751	List
Toa Baja				City	137	75,293	89,609	23.24 sq mi (60.19 sq km)	1745	List
Trujillo Alto				City	139	67,740	74,842	20.76 sq mi (53.77 sq km)	1801	List
Utuado				Town	141	28,287	33,149	113.53 sq mi (294.04 sq km)	1739	List
Vega Alta				Town	143	35,395	39,951	27.73 sq mi (71.82 sq km)	1775	List
Vega Baja				City	145	54,414	59,662	45.86 sq mi (118.78 sq km)	1776	List
Vieques				Town	147	8,249	9,301	50.77 sq mi (131.49 sq km)	1852	List
Villalba				Town	149	22,093	26,073	35.64 sq mi (92.31 sq km)	1917	List
Yabucoa				Town	151	30,412	37,941	55.21 sq mi (142.99 sq km)	1793	List
Yauco				Town	153	34,172	42,043	68.19 sq mi (176.61 sq km)	1756	List

Puerto Rico's Largest Municipalities by Population

Here are the municipalities with the most people:

Municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants
San Juan, the largest municipality and capital of Puerto Rico.
Bayamón, the second largest municipality of Puerto Rico, located just west of San Juan.
Carolina, the third largest municipality of Puerto Rico, located just east of San Juan.
Ponce, the fourth largest municipality of Puerto Rico and the largest municipality outside the San Juan metropolitan area.
Caguas, the fifth largest municipality of Puerto Rico.

Money Matters: How Municipalities Handle Their Budgets

In 2012, about half of Puerto Rico's 78 municipalities (36 of them) were spending more money than they were taking in. This is called a budget deficit. Together, all the municipalities owed about $590 million.

Some municipalities had a surplus, meaning they had extra money. Others had a deficit, meaning they were short on money. For example, Aguadilla had a large surplus of over $10 million, while San Juan had a deficit of over $45 million.

Ideas for Changing Municipalities

Over the years, people have suggested combining some of Puerto Rico's municipalities to make them more efficient. So far, none of these ideas have become law.

In 1902, a law was passed to reduce the number of municipalities from 76 to 46. But this law was canceled just three years later.
In 2009, a politician suggested a plan to cut the 78 municipalities down to 20. This idea was supposed to be voted on by the public, but it never happened.
More recently, around 2017, when Puerto Rico faced a big government debt problem, the idea of combining municipalities came up again. The goal was to save money and help with the debt.
In 2019, Governor Ricardo Rosselló had a plan to keep all the municipalities but have them share services in bigger regional groups, similar to counties. However, he resigned before this plan could move forward.