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U.S. Territory

Guam

D+10  ·  Low tax burden  ·  COL index 132

A+

37%

Income Tax

Notable

Uses a mirror tax code that parallels the U.S. federal code. Residents pay taxes to Guam instead of the IRS. No separate state income tax beyond the mirrored federal system.

Guam in plain English

Worth knowing before you move to Guam

Guam mirrors the U.S. federal income-tax code but collects the tax itself, so residents file with the Guam Department of Revenue instead of the IRS. The economy runs on U.S. military spending and Japanese and Korean tourism. Typhoons are the main natural hazard, and nearly all goods are imported, which keeps prices high.

What Guam taxes, and what it doesn't

Guam levies a graduated income tax that tops out at 37%. A household earning $75,000 pays an effective 0.0%, about $0 a year; at $150,000 the effective rate is 0.0%. Among the 41 states that tax income, Guam has the lowest effective rate at $100,000 of income.

Property tax runs 0.75% of home value a year. The national effective rate is about 1.10%, and Guam has the 22nd lowest rate of the 50 states.

Uses a mirror tax code that parallels the U.S. federal code. Residents pay taxes to Guam instead of the IRS. No separate state income tax beyond the mirrored federal system.

Written from the figures on this page. Rankings compare the 50 states. Sources and years are listed with each figure below.

State Profile

57/100
255075100TAXES88SAFETY50HEALTH50SCHOOLS50AFFORDABLE52LONGEVITY50

Guam will change its laws. We'll email you when it does.

One email when Guam changes a tax, gun, cannabis or abortion law. Unsubscribe in one click.

Taxes

Sources: state revenue departments · Tax Foundation 2026 · income-tax brackets 2026

Income Tax

Mirrors federal income tax rates paid to the Guam government, not the IRS. Top rate 37%.

37% top

Property Tax

0.75% / yr

Sales Tax

2% avg

Social Security

Exempt

Pension / IRA

Partial

Estate Tax

None

Inheritance Tax

None

Capital Gains

Federal capital gains rates apply via mirror code

Not taxed

Housing & Cost of Living

Sources: Zillow · Census ACS · iii.org and state insurers 2026 · WRLURI 2018 · Census 2024 (HOA)

Cost of Living Index

National avg = 100

132

Politics & Gun Laws

Sources: OpenElections 2024 · Giffords 2025 · state statutes

2024 Presidential Vote

D+10

Gun Laws

Gun ControlC
2A LibertyC

Carry Permit

May-issue

Purchase Permit Required

Yes

Jobs & Economy

Sources: BLS QCEW 2024 · BLS JOLTS 2024 · BLS union membership 2025 · Census ACS

Job Market

+0.2% job growth · 7.2% unemployment

Weak

Top Industries

MilitaryTourismRetail

Tech Jobs

#50 of 50

Healthcare Jobs

#50 of 50

Remote Work

10% of workers

Median Household Income

$35,000

Daily Life

Sources: American Pyrotechnics Association · state statutes 2026 · IIHS

Consumer Fireworks

Check local ordinances

Restricted

Weather & Natural Risks

Sources: NOAA · NWS Storm Prediction Center · FEMA NRI

Winter Severity

Avg January high: 81°F

Very Mild

Summer Heat

Moderate summers

84°F avg July

Annual Rainfall

94" / yr

Tornado Risk

Very Low

Hurricane Risk

Moderate

Wildfire Risk

Low

Flood Risk

Low

Natural Hazards

Sources: USGS · CDC · USDA APHIS · NOAA · FEMA NRI 2023

32MODERATE danger
Typhoon direct hitsBrown tree snake invasionDengue risk

Venomous Snakes

Low

Spider Hazard

Low

Scorpions

Low

Hurricane Risk

High

Tornado Risk

Minimal

Wildfire Risk

Low

Earthquake Risk

Moderate

Danger score is a composite index. Methodology ↗

Veteran Benefits

Sources: VA.gov · Military.com state guide · Tax Foundation

Veteran-Friendly Score

6.5% of state population are veterans

20/100

Property Tax Exemption

Partial exemption for service-connected disability

Disability Only

Military Retirement Pay

Taxed

Active Duty Pay

Taxed

VA Facilities Access

Adequate

Notable Benefits

Standard federal VA benefits

See your full cost of living in Guam

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Compare Similar States

GU vs NY

Guam vs New York

COL 132 vs 139 · 37% vs 10.9% income tax

Full comparison →

GU vs CA

Guam vs California

COL 132 vs 142 · 37% vs 13.3% income tax

Full comparison →

GU vs NJ

Guam vs New Jersey

COL 132 vs 121 · 37% vs 10.75% income tax

Full comparison →

Trending in Guam

Video - Andersen Air Force Base housing options available to incoming service members - DVIDS

DVIDS · Apr 2

Guam's 2026 governor's race is the most crowded in the island's history - Pasquines

Pasquines · Jul 13

Plaskett, Moylan advance in territorial primary elections - rollcall.com

rollcall.com · Aug 3

'You are the pillars of service': GovGuam hosts annual Labor Day picnic - guampdn.com

guampdn.com · Sep 6

Guam Governor visits Taiwan, establishes sister city with Kaohsiung-News-Radio Taiwan International - rti.org.tw

rti.org.tw · Sep 3

What Residents Say

Life in Guam : r/guam

Hot & Humid, mostly people are welcoming. Beach is always nearby. Criminal activities is kinda moderate. Cost of living is high from my POV, ......

reddit.com ↗

Here's what $267000 gets you in Guam : r/guam

Here's what $267,000 gets you in Guam ... Damn that's a long link but turnkey move in ready! Just bring your toof brush. Archived post. New ......

reddit.com ↗

Why Guam? : r/guam

“RFK Jr. on Trump’s Bold Public Health Purge Plan: If We Can’t Fire Them, We’ll Ship Them to Guam. Article: https://econotimes.com/RFK-Jr-on-Trumps-Bol ......

reddit.com ↗

Why aren't we getting better? : r/guam

No sales tax, low prop tax, business tax exemptions than how do you explain Guam's high cost of living? ... Has anyone here made a move to Guam?...

reddit.com ↗

Building a Better Government for Our Island Home : r/guam

Implement true transparency in government spending. Create a user-friendly online portal showing exactly how every tax dollar is spent, updated ......

reddit.com ↗

Are they really going to spend money to boost the tourism ...

What makes you think most of them don't pay taxes? How are we ... how expensive is the cost of living in guam? 15 upvotes · 24 ......

reddit.com ↗

How will Trump's tariff affect Guam's economy?

Putting politics aside and looking at it from an economic perspective. Do you think tariffs will negatively affect Guam’s economy or what are the ......

reddit.com ↗

Real Estate prices and military buildup : r/guam

And one other little factor also exacerbates all this - Guam's property taxes are stupidly low. ... moving out cause of high rents and cost of ......

reddit.com ↗

Tax preparers? : r/guam

Does anybody have a go-to person for their taxes on island? I moved in December and had a lot going on in life last year, not sure i want to do them myself ......

reddit.com ↗

Things that are cheaper on Guam

I think Guam property tax is far too low. As you said, It allows people to hold on to derelict properties for ages without doing any work to ......

reddit.com ↗

Guam will change its laws. We'll email you when it does.

One email when Guam changes a tax, gun, cannabis or abortion law. Unsubscribe in one click.

Data is informational only. Verify with a tax professional, real estate agent, and local sources before making relocation decisions. Crime data: FBI Crime Data Explorer 2023. Healthcare: Commonwealth Fund 2023; life expectancy from County Health Rankings 2024. Education: Education Week 2023. Housing: Zillow monthly index and Census ACS 2022. Insurance: rate surveys 2024. Sponsored links marked “Sponsored” may earn a commission. This does not affect our data or rankings.

Your Priorities

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Quick Profiles

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Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable