Last week the the U.S. Census Bureau released statistics for Guam in its 2020 Island Areas Censuses Demographic and Housing Characteristics Summary. The 2020 census of Guam collected detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing characteristics from island residents using a long-form questionnaire. Here's some of the findings.

The results of the census help determine how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding, including grants and support to states, counties and communities are spent every year for the next decade. It helps communities get its fair share for schools, hospitals, roads, and public works.

It's important to note that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the quality of the collected data on detailed social, economic and housing characteristic for American Samoa, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Adjustments were made.

Breaking down the demographics, Guam had a population of 153,836, with 78,271 males (50.9%) and 75,565 females (49.1%). 11.2% of the population was ages 65 or over and 0.8% was ages 85 or over. Children (ages 0-17) made up 27.0% of the population.

The island areas census also asked households about their income the previous year, 2019. These economic characteristics exclude people living in military housing units. Of the 145,543 people in households for whom poverty status is determined, 29,408 (20.2%) had income below the poverty level. 21.8% of households received benefits from the supplemental nutrition assistance plan (snap). Median household income was $58,289.

Turning to 2020 housing characteristics, 52.0% of the island’s householders in occupied units were owners, and 48.0% were renters. The median home value was $277,800.  The median monthly rent was $1,057. Among all households, 72.4% had a desktop or laptop computer; 92.3% had a smartphone; and 60.6% had a tablet or other portable wireless device. Most (85.9%) households had a broadband internet subscription.

With social characteristics, points of interest include: 15.8% of households consisted of one person living alone. The median length of marriage for both currently married men and women ages 15 and over in households was 19.1 years. Of grandparents living in households with their grandchildren under the age of 18, 36.1% were responsible for their basic needs. The majority (54.3%) of grandparents caring for their grandchildren under 18 had been responsible for them for at least 5 years.

The majority (86.0%) of the population ages 25 and older had a high school degree, and 25.3% had a bachelor’s degree or higher. Business was the most common field of those with a bachelor’s degree.

To read up on more data, view census.gov.