Population 2,830 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Salem
Household size in Salem
| Period | Salem | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.31 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.22 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.31 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.65 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.33 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
At 2.65 people per household, Salem sits right at the national average. The typical household here is bigger than in Arkansas as a whole, where it has 2.53 people. Household size has climbed from 2.31 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Salem
| Period | Salem | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.2 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.0 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 48.4 | 39.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 47.2 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.0 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
Salem skews older: half of its residents are older than 47.2, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Salem
| Period | Salem | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.6% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.0% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Salem as they are nationally: 12.0%, against 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Salem
Renters in Salem
| Period | Salem | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.9% | 32.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 39.2% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.6% | 34.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.2% | 33.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.8 pts | +1.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Salem own their homes; 29.2% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Nearly half of owners (47.2%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Salem
| Period | Salem | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.5% | 13.4% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.6% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.0% | 14.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.4% | 13.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 18.4% of the housing in Salem, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Salem
| Period | Salem | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1977 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1983 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1985 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1982 | 1988 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Salem are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1982, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in Arkansas as a whole, where the median home dates to 1988.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Salem
| Period | Salem | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $468 | $660 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $479 | $718 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $549 | $785 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $644 | $1,007 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$176 | +$346 | +$606 |
The median renter in Salem pays $644 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 28.3% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Salem
Bachelor's degrees in Salem
| Period | Salem | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.8% | 20.6% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.0% | 21.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.5% | 23.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.5% | 26.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.7 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Salem: 17.5% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Salem
| Period | Salem | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.0% | 82.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.7% | 84.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.0% | 86.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.9% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.9 pts | +6.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Salem is close to the national rate: 88.9% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Salem
| Period | Salem | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.7% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 5.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.8% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been harder to find in Salem than nationally: unemployment was 6.8%, against 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Salem compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem | 2.65 | 47.2 | 12.0% | 29.2% | 18.4% | 1982 | $644 | 17.5% | 88.9% | 6.8% |
| Moko | 2.69 | 44.2 | 12.1% | 30.2% | 15.9% | 1980 | $638 | 13.8% | 87.9% | 4.1% |
| Wheeling | 2.29 | 61.1 | 11.1% | 23.4% | 23.4% | 1986 | $639 | 25.0% | 95.5% | 19.6% |
| Glencoe | 2.44 | 54.1 | 11.5% | 3.8% | 16.6% | 1990 | $589 | 9.9% | 85.6% | 0.2% |
| Sturkie | 2.54 | 45.5 | 1.9% | 19.4% | 12.1% | 1981 | $733 | 6.3% | 78.9% | 0.0% |
| Morriston | 2.30 | 59.5 | 11.2% | 14.4% | 21.2% | 1988 | $623 | 18.5% | 91.7% | 12.9% |
| Heart | 2.41 | 55.5 | 11.3% | 0.6% | 17.1% | 1991 | $583 | 10.3% | 85.7% | 0.0% |
| Camp | 2.21 | 56.5 | 6.6% | 13.3% | 21.2% | 1992 | $573 | 19.4% | 92.9% | 0.3% |
| Wiseman | 2.31 | 54.5 | 9.4% | 9.2% | 15.8% | 1983 | $938 | 17.2% | 82.7% | 8.5% |
| Viola | 2.53 | 50.4 | 4.2% | 12.1% | 19.5% | 1988 | $704 | 15.8% | 87.8% | 3.4% |
| Day | 2.49 | 54.3 | 8.5% | 8.8% | 15.6% | 1987 | $752 | 17.3% | 88.5% | 3.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Avoca, PA · Crosby, MN · Penns Neck, NJ · Centreville, MI · Sanbornville, NH · Bow, WA · Baltic, CT · Trappe, MD · Malta, OH · Mansfield, MO
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Salem. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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