Population 198,650 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Salem
Household size in Salem
| Period | Salem | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.53 | 2.50 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.63 | 2.55 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.69 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.64 | 2.50 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.11 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Salem average 2.64 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). The typical household here is bigger than in Oregon overall, where it has 2.50 people. Household size has climbed from 2.53 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
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 | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.7 | 39.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.8 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.1 | 40.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.0 | 41.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.3 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Salem is 38.0 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. Residents skew youngest in the northeast and oldest in the northwest. Salem is younger than at least four in five Oregon cities.
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 | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.5% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.9% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.9% | 9.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.4% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in seven households in Salem (13.4%), a bit above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 1.9 points from 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 | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.8% | 36.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 43.0% | 38.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 42.0% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 41.3% | 36.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | +0.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over four in ten households in Salem rent their homes (41.3%), a bit above the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 35.7% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the southeast. The renter share is up 2.4 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.4% | 8.9% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.3% | 8.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.8% | 7.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Salem than nationally: 5.8%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Vacancy has edged down 0.6 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than 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 | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1976 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1976 | 1978 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1982 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in Salem was built around 1982, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). The median year built has moved up from 1976 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, 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 | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $820 | $870 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $912 | $982 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,053 | $1,183 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,532 | $1,601 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$711 | +$731 | +$606 |
The median renter in Salem pays $1,532 a month for rent and utilities, close to the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $711 a month since 2006–10, up 87%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 33.1% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the center; the highest are in the northwest.
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 | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.3% | 29.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 27.4% | 30.2% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.9% | 33.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 31.3% | 36.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over three in ten adults 25 and older in Salem (31.3%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 5.1 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the east.
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 | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.2% | 88.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.8% | 89.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.0% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.1% | 91.5% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | +3.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Salem have finished high school as nationally: 88.1%, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in Oregon overall (91.5%). The share with a diploma has risen 2.9 points since 2006–10, 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 | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.6% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.9% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −3.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.5%, unemployment in Salem is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 4.1 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 | 2.64 | 38.0 | 13.4% | 41.3% | 5.8% | 1982 | $1,532 | 31.3% | 88.1% | 5.5% |
| Four Corners | 3.07 | 37.8 | 13.8% | 37.9% | 8.4% | 1979 | $1,520 | 11.7% | 79.3% | 6.9% |
| Hayesville | 2.99 | 33.4 | 22.1% | 51.7% | 4.5% | 1987 | $1,629 | 15.9% | 75.0% | 6.1% |
| Keizer | 2.63 | 39.1 | 10.7% | 36.8% | 4.0% | 1983 | $1,527 | 27.5% | 90.9% | 4.2% |
| Eola | 2.41 | 48.9 | 4.8% | 29.8% | 9.1% | 1983 | $1,533 | 27.8% | 94.3% | 13.8% |
| Labish Village | 2.74 | 46.4 | 13.3% | 23.4% | 1.1% | 1955 | $1,174 | 24.4% | 80.5% | 4.3% |
| Shaw | 3.62 | 48.8 | 5.7% | 18.7% | 5.9% | 1979 | $1,240 | 46.0% | 92.7% | 4.0% |
| Wheatland | 3.53 | 44.5 | 12.4% | 31.3% | 17.2% | 1978 | $1,316 | 28.1% | 85.3% | 4.0% |
| Crowley | 2.66 | 37.8 | 4.5% | 31.2% | 12.4% | 1986 | $1,086 | 23.2% | 95.8% | 2.8% |
| Pratum | 2.89 | 40.8 | 7.6% | 18.3% | 6.4% | 1967 | $1,467 | 27.2% | 86.9% | 4.9% |
| Turner | 2.82 | 43.8 | 6.1% | 13.6% | 5.0% | 1986 | $1,389 | 34.7% | 94.8% | 3.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Fort Mill, SC · Covina, CA · Deerfield Beach, FL · Dublin, OH · Dundalk, MD · Daly City, CA · Decatur, GA · Decatur, IL · Eagan, MN · Denton, TX
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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