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2010 census reveals jump in local housing units

Close to 11,000 housing units in American Samoa were recorded during the 2010 Census count, compared to just over 10,000 housing units for the 2000 census, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, who released last week more data from the 2010 census for American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Census Bureau describes a housing unit as a house, an apartment, a mobile home or trailer, a group of rooms, or a single room that is occupied, or, if vacant, is intended for occupancy as separate living quarters.

For the 2010 census, total housing units for American Samoa numbered 10,963, with the highest number of housing units in the Western District at 6,090; followed by Eastern District at 4,490; Manu’a District with 376; and Swains Island with seven, according to Census data.

In comparison, Census data for 2000 shows total housing units for the territory at 10,052, with Western District at 5,610; Eastern District 4,111; Manu’a District 323; and Swains with 8.

Tualauta County, the most populated county in the territory, had the highest number of housing units in 2010 with 4080; followed by 1,999 for Maoputasi; Lealataua at 1,038; and Ituau at 936 while Swains had the smallest number of housing units at 7.

Looking at data 10 years ago from the 2000 census, Tualauta had 3,875; Maoputasi with 2,031; Lealataua with 972; Ituau with 740 while Swains with 8 had the smallest number of housing units.

For the 2010 census — based on village count, Tafuna has the highest number of housing units — far ahead — with 1,616; followed way behind by Nu’uuli with 775; Pago Pago at 691; Ili’ili at 642 while Maloata has the smallest number of housing units with only two — compared to Swains with 7.

During the census count a decade ago, Tafuna also had the highest number of housing units at 1,488; followed way behind with Pago Pago at 742; and Leone 600, with Pagai village the lowest number of housing units at only four, according to Census Bureau data.

To be released later this year by the federal agency is the breakdown on housing units that are occupied and vacant as well as the number of housing units that are rented.

Meanwhile, the Census Bureau says demographic profiles for the Island Areas are planned for release in the summer, with other data in the fall.

(Just for the sake of playing with numbers: Samoa News notes that in 2000 the population count was 57,236 with a housing count of just over 10,000. If given they were all occupied (which they were not), it averaged out to around 6 persons per housing unit. For the 2010 population count, given the same assumption, it averages out at 5 people per housing unit, which denotes the drop in population, even though there was an increase in housing units on island.)