Population 44,804 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Salem
Household size in Salem
| Period | Salem | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.32 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.27 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.27 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.18 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.13 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Salem is a place of small households, averaging 2.18 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.32, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only 25 of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people have smaller households.
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 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.7 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.2 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.4 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.5 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.8 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
At 39.5, the median age in Salem is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 37.7, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the southeast and oldest in the southwest.
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 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.3% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.6% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.9% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.7% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −5.6 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Salem (9.7%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. That is in line with the rest of the Boston area. The single-parent share has fallen 5.6 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.0% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 50.8% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 48.5% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 50.3% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Salem rent: 50.3% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. More than a quarter of owners (27.5%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 3.2 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.0% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.2% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Salem: 6.2% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. That is in line with the rest of the Boston area. Vacancy has edged down 1.2 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1952 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1953 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1951 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1954 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Salem is a place of older homes: half were built before 1954, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the northwest has the oldest housing.
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 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,077 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,082 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,323 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,886 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$810 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in Salem runs $1,886 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are lower than in the wider Boston area ($2,051). Rent has climbed $810 a month since 2006–10, up 75%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 31.4% of the typical renter's income, just over 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 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.9% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 37.3% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 42.8% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 47.6% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.7 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Salem: 47.6% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. Locally, though, the share is lower than in the Boston area overall (51.9%). The share with a degree is up 9.7 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.8% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.8% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.9% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.0% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Salem have finished high school (92.0%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of the Boston area. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 3.2 points, as it has nationally.
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 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.3% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.8% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.8% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.0% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.3 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Salem is close to the national rate: 5.0% of the labor force, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 3.3 points, as it has nationally. 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 | 2.18 | 39.5 | 9.7% | 50.3% | 6.2% | 1954 | $1,886 | 47.6% | 92.0% | 5.0% |
| Marblehead | 2.51 | 49.2 | 3.8% | 14.8% | 7.5% | 1950 | $1,798 | 78.9% | 99.1% | 2.5% |
| Swampscott | 2.56 | 43.6 | 4.9% | 24.2% | 7.8% | 1953 | $2,346 | 60.9% | 96.3% | 7.1% |
| Peabody | 2.50 | 47.5 | 9.0% | 34.4% | 4.4% | 1966 | $1,999 | 35.0% | 90.4% | 5.1% |
| Beverly | 2.40 | 40.9 | 10.5% | 39.7% | 5.4% | 1961 | $1,685 | 54.8% | 96.6% | 4.9% |
| Lynn | 2.93 | 37.3 | 19.1% | 52.4% | 4.8% | 1950 | $1,843 | 24.1% | 78.2% | 4.6% |
| Danvers | 2.52 | 46.1 | 6.8% | 31.0% | 5.9% | 1964 | $2,319 | 47.6% | 95.1% | 4.8% |
| Wenham | 2.86 | 33.0 | 8.3% | 13.9% | 5.9% | 1967 | $2,071 | 70.1% | 99.5% | 2.6% |
| Nahant | 2.12 | 58.7 | 3.6% | 21.1% | 12.0% | 1940 | $1,810 | 62.2% | 98.2% | 6.2% |
| Saugus | 2.60 | 45.1 | 4.8% | 28.2% | 6.5% | 1964 | $2,164 | 30.4% | 90.9% | 3.7% |
| Lynnfield | 2.90 | 40.7 | 6.6% | 15.3% | 4.4% | 1968 | $2,516 | 62.2% | 98.4% | 3.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: San Bruno, CA · Leominster, MA · Linden, NJ · Meadow Woods, FL · Moline, IL · Moorhead, MN · Muskogee, OK · North Atlanta, GA · Pahrump, NV · Pittsfield, MA
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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