Population 9,800 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Salem
Household size in Salem
| Period | Salem | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.40 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.35 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.27 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.33 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Salem are small: just 2.33 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.40, mirroring the country.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.1 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.1 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.0 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.2 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.9 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Salem are younger than 40.2 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has edged down from 41.1 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose. Residents skew youngest in the east and oldest in the north.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.3% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.5% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.8% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.2 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in six households in Salem (15.5%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 4.2 points, even as the national share fell. Salem has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of Illinois cities.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.8% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.0% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Salem own their homes; 30.5% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. About four in ten owners (40.4%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the north.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.1% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.7% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.6% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.7% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Salem is close to the national rate: 8.7% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged down 1.4 points, as it has nationally.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1970 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1971 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Salem is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1971, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The picture is much the same across Illinois. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the center.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $585 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $618 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $634 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $824 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$239 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Salem runs $824 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $239 a month from 2006–10, a 41% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 25.4% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the southwest; the most affordable are in the center.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.0% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.5% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.3% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.6% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Salem: 16.6% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is down 1.4 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose. Of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people, only 30 have a lower share of college graduates.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.0% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.1% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.2% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.8% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.8 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Salem is a bit above the national rate: 91.8% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 6.8 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.6% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.6 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Salem has been low: just 2.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 5.6 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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 | 2.33 | 40.2 | 15.5% | 30.5% | 8.7% | 1971 | $824 | 16.6% | 91.8% | 2.6% |
| Selmaville | 2.72 | 42.4 | 7.4% | 20.6% | 8.1% | 1985 | $1,100 | 24.8% | 92.9% | 4.3% |
| Tonti | 2.57 | 40.8 | 6.8% | 3.6% | 18.1% | 1990 | $640 | 30.2% | 92.0% | 0.1% |
| Brubaker | 2.38 | 45.5 | 3.9% | 8.2% | 3.8% | 1986 | $660 | 15.2% | 95.4% | 1.5% |
| Odin | 2.32 | 46.7 | 14.3% | 23.9% | 11.4% | 1977 | $977 | 10.4% | 93.9% | 2.8% |
| Kell | 2.81 | 41.1 | 8.3% | 13.1% | 8.9% | 1984 | $1,002 | 20.7% | 92.8% | 7.9% |
| Alma | 2.32 | 46.9 | 5.7% | 7.1% | 14.6% | 1985 | $648 | 23.1% | 92.4% | 0.4% |
| Hubbard Woods | 2.68 | 43.6 | 3.9% | 14.5% | 17.2% | 1986 | $804 | 25.6% | 95.1% | 2.0% |
| Sandoval | 2.23 | 44.4 | 16.9% | 23.1% | 19.5% | 1975 | $709 | 10.8% | 85.3% | 5.0% |
| Iuka | 2.62 | 39.9 | 8.8% | 10.3% | 7.1% | 1982 | $906 | 12.8% | 91.6% | 6.2% |
| Junction City | 2.53 | 41.4 | 25.3% | 18.6% | 9.3% | 1978 | $921 | 8.3% | 75.8% | 8.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Rossmoor, CA · Lake Bluff, IL · Lake City, SC · Lake Hopatcong, NJ · Lake Mohawk, NJ · Lake Park, FL · Lasalle, IL · Red Bank, SC · Rising Sun, MD · River Grove, IL
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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