JULY 20, 2023 — The U.S. Census Bureau today released statistics for American Samoa in its 2020 Island Areas Censuses Demographic and Housing Characteristics Summary File (DHC).

The package includes more than 400 tables with data on age, race and ethnicity, household type, relationship, population in group quarters, whether the residence is owned or rented (tenure), vacancy status and other social, economic, housing and demographic characteristics. In addition, data are available for island-specific geographies, including districts, counties and villages.

• American Samoa had a population of 49,710, with 25,254 males (50.8%) and 24,456 females (49.2%).
• 6.3% of the population was ages 65 or over and 0.3% ages 85 or over.
• Children (ages 0-17 years) made up 36.7% of the population.
• The median age was 27.7 years. 

• Nearly one in 10 (9.7%) households consisted of one person living alone.
• Married-couple families accounted for the majority (70.2%) of 8,671 family households.
• 483, or 4.9%, of households had a female householder with no spouse or partner present and children of the householder who were under 18 years old.
• There were 348 cohabiting couple households – 3.5% of all households.
• Over one-quarter (26.6%) of family households were multigenerational.
• Just under two-thirds (66.4%) of women ages 15 years and over in households had ever given birth.
• The median length of marriage for currently married men ages 15 and over in households was 18.0 years, compared with 18.2 years for currently married women.
• Among adults ages 30 and over in households, 17.5% were grandparents who lived with their own grandchildren under 18.
• Of grandparents in households living with their grandchildren under the age of 18, 63.6% were responsible for their basic needs. The majority (59.8%) of grandparents responsible for their grandchildren (under 18) had been responsible for 5 years or more.
• 39% of the population ages 5 and over in households who moved between April 1, 2015, and April 1, 2020, reported “other” as their primary reason for moving. Reasons for moving included employment, military, housing, to attend school, family-related, natural disaster and other.
• Among household populations 3 years and over, 36.4% were enrolled in school: 5.3% in nursery or preschool; 84.6% in K-12; and 10.0% in college, graduate or professional school.
• Among the household population 5 years and over, 96.7% spoke a language other than English at home. Of those who spoke a language other than English, 45.4% spoke English “very well” and 90.9% spoke Samoan.
• 88.7% of the population ages 25 and older had a high school degree or higher, and 13.3% had a bachelor’s degree or higher; the most common bachelor’s degree was in education.

Note: The Island Areas Censuses asked households about their income the previous year (in 2019).

• Of the total 48,506 people in households for whom poverty status is determined, 26,480 (54.6%) had income below the poverty level.
• 33.1% of households received benefits from the Nutrition Assistance Plan (NAP).
• Median household income did not show much change from $28,539 (in 2019 inflation-adjusted dollars) in 2009 to $28,352.

• 71.1% of occupied units were owned, while 28.9% were rented.
• The median home value was $84,400, and the median gross monthly rent $601.
• 7.3% of homeowners and 18.1% of renters spent 35.0% or more of household income on housing costs.
• More than one-half (57.0%) of all households had a desktop or laptop computer; 86.6% had a smartphone; and 54.7% had a tablet or other portable wireless device.
• 69.0% of households had a broadband internet subscription.

A webinar is scheduled today at 5 p.m. ET for those who are interested in accessing the newly released 2020 Island Areas Census DHC data and will focus on leveraging data.census.gov to find available data. Questions related to the data collection process, methodology, disclosure avoidance and data analysis will not be addressed during this session.

For more information about 2020 Census products for the Island Areas, visit the 2020 Island Areas Censuses Press Kit.

While the 2020 Island Areas Censuses operation was successful, 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. To ensure the Census Bureau’s high data quality standards are met, adjustments were made to data products reporting population and housing characteristics.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic impacting data collection efforts for group quarters facilities, American Samoa data tables reporting social and economic characteristics do not include the group quarters population in the table universe. As a result, impacted 2020 data tables should not be compared to 2010 and other past census data tables reporting the same characteristics. The Census Bureau advises data users to verify table universes are the same before comparing data across census years. Additional guidance for data users using the Island Area characteristic data is available in the Guidance on Using Data from the 2020 Island Areas Censuses fact sheet.

The 2020 Island Areas Censuses provide a wide range of demographic, social, economic and housing information to meet the U.S. Island Areas’ data needs. Census Bureau surveys, such as the American Community Survey (ACS), are not conducted in the Island Areas. Therefore, the Census Bureau used a long-form census questionnaire similar to the ACS questionnaire used in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. 

The Census Bureau previously released population and housing counts and a demographic profile for American Samoa from the 2020 Island Areas Censuses. Later, the Census Bureau also plans to release data tables for the Island Areas that cross tabulate data about people or housing units by other characteristics. More information is available on the 2020 Island Areas Censuses Data Products webpage.