Guam had 153,836 residents on April 1, 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Census. The island’s population declined by 5,522 people, or 3.5%, from 2010 to 2020, even as the number of housing units rose by 988, or 2.0%. Together, these figures provide a useful starting point for understanding Guam’s changing population and island-living context.
Contents
- Population and housing snapshot
- Age and sex profile
- Race and ethnicity statistics
- Households, income, and work
- Housing and digital access
- Population by municipality
- Census-designated places
Population and housing snapshot
The Census Bureau Releases 2020 Census Population and Housing Unit Counts for Guam reported a total population of 153,836 as of April 1, 2020. Compared with 2010, Guam’s population changed by -5,522 people, equivalent to a -3.5% change. This is a decennial comparison, not a current annual estimate or forecast.
The same 2020 Census count recorded 51,555 housing units. Housing supply moved in the opposite direction from population: Guam added 988 units between 2010 and 2020, a 2.0% increase. The population and housing figures therefore describe two different movements over the same decade: fewer residents alongside a modestly larger housing stock.
| Measure | Guam figure | Measurement period |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 153,836 | April 1, 2020 |
| Population change | -5,522 people | 2010 to 2020 |
| Population change | -3.5% | 2010 to 2020 |
| Housing units | 51,555 | 2020 |
| Housing-unit change | +988 units | 2010 to 2020 |
| Housing-unit change | +2.0% | 2010 to 2020 |
These official counts are the clearest baseline for Guam population statistics because they use the same census reference date and decade-to-decade comparison. They should not be read as a later estimate or projection.
Age and sex profile
The 2020 Census DHC Summary File for Guam counted 78,271 males and 75,565 females. Males represented 50.9% of Guam’s population and females represented 49.1% in 2020.
Guam’s median age was 33.7 years. Children ages 0 to 17 accounted for 27.0% of the population, while people age 65 or over represented 11.2%. The share age 85 or over was 0.8%.
These measures describe a population with substantial representation among children and younger adults, alongside an older-adult segment that is smaller than the under-18 group. The median age is a midpoint statistic: half of the population was younger than 33.7 years and half was older, based on the 2020 detailed census data.
The Census Bureau’s 2024 detailed cross-tabulation release for the 2020 Island Areas Censuses also reported a median age of 33.7 years, with males at 50.9% and females at 49.1%. The release provides a more detailed presentation of the 2020 census results; it does not turn those measurements into a 2024 population estimate.
Race and ethnicity statistics
The 2020 Island Areas Censuses Data Now Available for Guam reported 70,809 people in the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone population. The Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone or in combination population was 83,368. The Chamorro alone population was 50,420, while the Chamorro alone or in any combination population was 63,035.
The Asian alone population was 54,586, and the Asian alone or in combination population was 66,194. The Filipino alone population was 44,793, compared with 54,242 Filipino people alone or in any combination. Guam’s multiracial population was 15,441. The Hispanic or Latino population was 4,522, including 1,740 people identified as Mexican.
The 2024 detailed cross-tabulation release presents selected categories as shares of the 2020 population. Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone accounted for 46.0%, and Asian alone accounted for 35.5%. White alone accounted for 6.8%, while the multiracial population accounted for 10.0%. The Hispanic or Latino population of any race accounted for 2.9%.
The same release gives median ages for several groups. The Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone population had a median age of 30.1, compared with 42.9 for the Asian alone population. The White alone population had a median age of 32.9, and the multiracial population had a median age of 21.7. The Hispanic or Latino population had a median age of 28.4. Within that population, the median age was 28.0 for males and 28.8 for females.
The “alone” and “alone or in combination” categories are different census concepts. They should not be added together: the broader combination figures include people who selected a category along with one or more other racial identities.
Households, income, and work
The 2020 Census DHC Summary File for Guam reported 34,804 family households. Married-couple families made up 67.2% of those family households. One-person households accounted for 15.8% of Guam households. There were 3,709 cohabiting couple households, representing 8.5% of all households. Female householders with no spouse or partner present and children under 18 represented 5.4% of households, or 2,343 households.
The Census Bureau Releases 2020 Island Areas Censuses Detailed Cross-Tabulation Data for Guam reported a 2019 median household income of $58,289. Households with a Chamorro householder had a median income of $61,028, while households with a Filipino householder had a median income of $60,739. Households with a householder age 45 to 54 had a median income of $69,677. Households with a householder born in Guam had a median income of $61,163.
The same 2019 data reported a poverty rate of 20.2% for all people in Guam households. The rate was 28.5% for the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population in households, 12.3% for the Asian alone population in households, and 11.3% for the Hispanic or Latino population in households.
Among Guam people age 16 and over in the civilian labor force, 89.8% were employed and 10.2% were unemployed in 2019. The unemployment rate was 10.9% for women and 9.6% for men. Among workers age 16 and over, 76.5% worked full-time, year-round, and 56.3% were born outside Guam.
The income and labor figures use 2019 measurement data, even though they were published in a later detailed cross-tabulation release. They should be kept separate from the April 1, 2020 population count and from 2020 housing measures.
Housing and digital access
In 2020, 84.1% of Guam housing units were occupied, according to the Census Bureau Releases 2020 Island Areas Censuses Detailed Cross-Tabulation Data for Guam. Of occupied units, 52.0% were owner-occupied and 48.0% were renter-occupied.
For owner-occupied households in units built in 2019 or 2020, the median monthly owner cost was $1,567 when the household had a mortgage. For comparable owner-occupied households without a mortgage, the median monthly owner cost was $409. The median gross rent for households living in units built in 2019 or 2020 was $1,507.
Those cost figures apply to a specific construction period, not to every home on Guam. They are median monthly amounts, so they describe the middle of the reported distribution rather than a universal price.
Digital access also varied by household income. In 2020, 85.8% of Guam children ages 5 to 17 lived in households with a computer and broadband internet subscription. Households with a computer and internet subscription had a median income of $65,193, while households without a computer had a median income of $27,484.
Population by municipality
The Census Bureau Releases 2020 Census Population and Housing Unit Counts for Guam identified Dededo as Guam’s largest municipality by 2020 population, with 44,908 people. Yigo was second with 19,339, Tamuning third with 18,489, Mangilao fourth with 13,476, and Barrigada fifth with 7,956. Umatac was the smallest municipality in the supplied 2020 figures, with 647 people.
| Municipality | Population, 2020 | Housing units, 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Dededo | 44,908 | 13,651 |
| Yigo | 19,339 | 6,360 |
| Tamuning | 18,489 | 8,692 |
| Mangilao | 13,476 | 4,656 |
| Barrigada | 7,956 | 2,533 |
| Umatac | 647 | 177 |
Municipal population changes were not uniform. Dededo’s population changed by -35 people from 2010 to 2020, while Yigo’s changed by -1,200. Talofofo recorded a change of +500 people. Umatac’s population changed by -17.3% over the same decade.
The housing-unit counts for these municipalities were 13,651 in Dededo, 6,360 in Yigo, 8,692 in Tamuning, 4,656 in Mangilao, 2,533 in Barrigada, and 177 in Umatac. These are place-level counts from 2020, not current housing-market estimates.
Census-designated places
The 2020 Census Population of Guam: Census Designated Place (CDP) figures include communities that are reported separately from the municipality ranking above. Dededo CDP had 6,855 people, Apotgan CDP had 5,224, Liguan CDP had 4,653, Y Papao CDP had 5,213, and University of Guam CDP had 3,388 in 2020.
The corresponding 2020 Census Housing Unit Counts of Guam: Census Designated Place (CDP) reported 2,157 housing units in Dededo CDP, 2,443 in Apotgan CDP, 1,694 in Liguan CDP, 1,673 in Y Papao CDP, and 1,232 at University of Guam CDP.
| Census-designated place | Population, 2020 | Housing units, 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Dededo CDP | 6,855 | 2,157 |
| Apotgan CDP | 5,224 | 2,443 |
| Liguan CDP | 4,653 | 1,694 |
| Y Papao CDP | 5,213 | 1,673 |
| University of Guam CDP | 3,388 | 1,232 |
Municipalities and census-designated places are separate geographic reporting concepts. For that reason, their figures should be used with the geographic label attached rather than combined automatically. The municipality statistics describe Guam’s larger local areas, while the CDP statistics identify additional census-defined places within the island’s settlement pattern.