Population 37,647 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Salem
Household size in Salem
| Period | Salem | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.37 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.33 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.37 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.33 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.03 | −0.01 | −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. Household size has edged down from 2.37 in 2006–10, 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 | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.8 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.7 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.3 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.4 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.7 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Salem is 43.4 years old, older than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 41.8 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the northeast 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 | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.9% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.4% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.6% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Salem than nationally: 10.6%, against 11.6%. The picture is much the same across Virginia. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 0.7 points, 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 | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.1% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 26.7% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.9% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.6% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Salem own their homes; 29.6% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 40.7% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the southeast; owners are most common in the northwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 2.5 points, as it has 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 | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.7% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.7% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.5% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.1% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Salem than nationally: 8.1%, against 9.6% for the U.S. The picture is much the same across Virginia. Vacancy has fallen 1.6 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1972 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1972 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1972 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +0 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Salem is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1972, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the north. Salem has older homes than the great majority of Virginia cities.
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 | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $799 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $884 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $952 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,205 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$406 | +$600 | +$606 |
Rent in Salem runs $1,205 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $406 a month from 2006–10, a 51% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 35.6% 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 south; the highest are in the west.
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 | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.9% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 29.8% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.2% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 33.2% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.3 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Salem as nationally: 33.2% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is lower than in Virginia as a whole (42.5%). The share with a degree is up 2.3 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally.
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 | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.7% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.6% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.0% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.3% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.6 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Salem: 94.3% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 6.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.8% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.6% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.1% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.0% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Salem runs below the national rate: 4.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 1.8 points, 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 | 2.33 | 43.4 | 10.6% | 29.6% | 8.1% | 1972 | $1,205 | 33.2% | 94.3% | 4.0% |
| Glenvar | 2.35 | 50.5 | 3.7% | 10.5% | 6.6% | 1977 | $1,126 | 29.9% | 95.8% | 0.7% |
| Mason Cove | 2.66 | 45.3 | 10.5% | 6.8% | 8.6% | 1965 | $1,184 | 24.3% | 95.1% | 3.8% |
| Cave Spring | 2.37 | 42.5 | 10.5% | 29.7% | 6.2% | 1976 | $1,246 | 47.4% | 96.3% | 2.7% |
| Wabun | 2.40 | 48.0 | 4.1% | 10.6% | 3.4% | 1983 | $1,250 | 43.4% | 96.1% | 3.5% |
| Roanoke | 2.34 | 41.6 | 12.1% | 41.4% | 11.9% | 1964 | $1,107 | 32.4% | 90.5% | 4.8% |
| Hollins | 2.37 | 42.7 | 9.6% | 36.3% | 6.3% | 1977 | $1,204 | 26.0% | 93.2% | 3.1% |
| Catawba | 2.80 | 43.1 | 4.6% | 3.3% | 27.1% | 1976 | $1,100 | 26.9% | 95.9% | 0.0% |
| Lafayette | 2.32 | 44.4 | 12.4% | 30.0% | 5.0% | 1987 | $1,141 | 16.3% | 92.3% | 7.3% |
| Bent Mountain | 2.38 | 49.5 | 3.0% | 10.0% | 5.3% | 1984 | $1,205 | 51.9% | 98.6% | 0.1% |
| Elliston | 2.12 | 46.7 | 11.5% | 28.8% | 10.7% | 1988 | $1,104 | 19.2% | 92.5% | 13.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Lemoore, CA · Russellville, AR · Mcminnville, OR · Marrero, LA · Manor, TX · Los Altos, CA · Lockport, NY · Linton Hall, VA · Lincolnton, NC · Addison, 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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