Population 9,096 · 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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.46 | 2.49 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.56 | 2.52 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.33 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.56 | 2.49 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.10 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
The average household in Salem has 2.56 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.46, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the east and smallest in the center.
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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.1 | 38.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.7 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.3 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.9 | 40.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.9 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
Salem skews older than the country: its median age is 43.9, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has crept up from 43.1 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the center, the 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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.4% | 11.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.6% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.9% | 11.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Salem than nationally: 12.9%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 2.5 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.1% | 30.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.6% | 32.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.9% | 33.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 31.6% | 31.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.5 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over three in ten households in Salem rent their homes (31.6%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. About half of owners (50.1%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northwest. The renter share has risen 4.5 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.7% | 11.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.7% | 12.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 12.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.6% | 10.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Salem: 16.6% of homes are empty, 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. Salem has a higher vacancy rate than the great majority of Missouri cities.
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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1968 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1972 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1976 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Salem are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1976, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1968 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the center 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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $491 | $740 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $561 | $816 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $601 | $899 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $727 | $1,122 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$236 | +$383 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Salem costs $727 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $236 a month since 2006–10, up 48%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 27.8% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the center and lowest in the north.
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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.7% | 26.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.9% | 27.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.5% | 29.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.2% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.6 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Salem: 17.2% 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 up 5.6 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Salem has a lower share of college graduates than at least four in five Missouri cities.
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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 75.0% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 75.8% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 82.1% | 90.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.9% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.9 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Salem never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.9% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has risen 8.9 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only eight of the 191 Missouri cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of high school graduates.
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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.1% | 7.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.9% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.8% | 4.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.3 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Salem than nationally: unemployment was 3.9%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 7.3 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. 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 | 2.56 | 43.9 | 12.9% | 31.6% | 16.6% | 1976 | $727 | 17.2% | 83.9% | 3.9% |
| Howes Mill | 2.57 | 48.6 | 7.8% | 19.6% | 23.4% | 1979 | $737 | 9.5% | 89.2% | 2.7% |
| Lake Spring | 2.84 | 39.6 | 15.5% | 11.4% | 18.6% | 1992 | $784 | 14.7% | 87.4% | 6.0% |
| Doss | 2.50 | 47.4 | 14.2% | 11.1% | 24.0% | 1986 | $705 | 11.1% | 87.1% | 3.4% |
| Hobson | 2.45 | 45.0 | 1.8% | 11.1% | 13.0% | 1995 | $634 | 27.2% | 88.9% | 2.0% |
| Rhyse | 2.83 | 46.2 | 3.0% | 8.4% | 11.6% | 1979 | $600 | 12.7% | 73.0% | 10.0% |
| Sligo | 2.51 | 43.0 | 3.1% | 18.6% | 26.9% | 1992 | $794 | 20.8% | 78.9% | 3.9% |
| Gladden | 2.40 | 49.9 | 12.5% | 11.1% | 25.9% | 1984 | $683 | 10.4% | 86.8% | 2.2% |
| Lecoma | 2.49 | 44.6 | 2.0% | 10.5% | 13.3% | 1995 | $642 | 26.5% | 88.0% | 2.2% |
| Lenox | 3.04 | 41.7 | 4.0% | 6.2% | 10.9% | 1982 | $716 | 18.5% | 76.8% | 7.0% |
| Maples | 2.83 | 42.6 | 5.6% | 31.4% | 12.6% | 1983 | $707 | 4.8% | 80.1% | 14.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Wolfforth, TX · Lake Dallas, TX · Lake Hallie, WI · Lake Mills, WI · Lake of the Woods, VA · Woodstock, VA · Salem, NJ · Woodbury, TN · Woodbury, NY · Woodbury, CT
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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