Rota has highest per capita income

Rota residents have a higher average income than those who live on Saipan and Tinian, according to a recently released study.

The 2005 CNMI Household, Income, and Expenditures Survey shows Rota had a per capita income of $8,592 in 2004. This is larger than the average income of $6,017 made by Saipan residents, and $7,494 made by Tinian residents.

The government was the largest employer on Rota, with about 36 percent of Rota’s total employed population in 2005.

The largest industry on Tinian was the accommodation industry with about 38 percent of the employed population in 2005. Public administration was the second largest sector employing about 17 percent.

On Saipan, the largest employer was the garment industry with about 33 percent of the employed population in 2005. Accommodation industry was the second largest with 13 percent, followed by public administration, which employed over 8 percent, and retail trade with close to 8 percent.

Household income

Rota also posted the highest household income among the three main islands in the commonwealth. The median household income on Rota in 2004 was $22,270, and the mean household income was $29,839.

Tinian’s median household income in 2004 was $21,538. The mean household income on Tinian in 2004 was $32,318.

Saipan, the center of business and tourism, posted a median household income of $16,835 in 2004. The mean household income on Saipan was $24,629.

Of the 700 Rota households that reported household income in 2004, 21 percent earned less than $10,000; 23 percent had household income $10,000 or more, but less than $20,000; 17 percent had household income of $20 or more but less than $30,000; 24 percent had income of $30,000 or more, but less than $60,000; and 14 percent had household income of $60,000 or more.

On Tinian, over 650 households reported household income in 2004. Twenty-two percent earned less than $10,000; 26 percent had household income $10,000 or more, but less than $20,000; 11 percent had household income of $20 or more but less than $30,000; 27 percent had income of $30,000 or more, but less than $60,000; and 14 percent had household income of $60,000 or more.

Over 14,000 households on Saipan reported household income in 2004. About 29 percent had a household income of less than $10,000; 30 percent had household income $10,000 or more, but less than $20,000; 13 percent had household income of $20 or more but less than $30,000; 19 percent had income of $30,000 or more, but less than $60,000; and close to 10 percent had household income of $60,000 or more.

Family income

Saipan also lagged behind in terms of family income. The median family income on Saipan in 2004 was $19,174 and the mean family income was $27,933.

Tinian posted median family income of $26,630 and mean family income of $35,352 in 2004.

On Rota, the median family income n 2004 was $24,514 and median family income was $32,583.

An estimated 10,500 families on Saipan reported family income in 2004. About 23 percent of these had family income of less than $10,000; 30 percent had family income $10,000 or more, but less than $20,000; 13 percent had family income of $20 or more but less than $30,000; 11 percent had family income of $30,000 or more, but less than $40,000; almost 12 percent had family income of $40,000 or more, but less than $60,000; and 12 percent had family income of $60,000 or more.

Of the 463 families that reported family income on Tinian in 2004, almost 20 percent of these had family income of less than $10,000; 18 percent had family income $10,000 or more, but less than $20,000; close to 15 percent had family income of $20 or more but less than $30,000; 8 percent had family income of $30,000 or more, but less than $40,000; 23 percent had family income of $40,000 or more, but less than $60,000; and 15 percent had family income of $60,000 or more.

On Rota, an estimated 565 families reported family income in 2004. About 17 percent of these had family income of less than $10,000; 22 percent had family income $10,000 or more, but less than $20,000; 15 percent had family income of $20 or more but less than $30,000; 13 percent had family income of $30,000 or more, but less than $40,000; 18 percent had family income of $40,000 or more, but less than $60,000; and 15 percent had family income of $60,000 or more.

Conducted in 2005, the HIE Survey lists population by election districts, median age, age distribution, sex ratio, ethnicity, citizenship, migrant population, reason for migrating to the CNMI, length of stay and living arrangements. Labor and income statistics cover employment by industry, employment and unemployment, employment by ethnicity and citizenship and by class of workers. Household and family income figures are provided, as are per capita income.