Population 5,491 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Salem
Household size in Salem
| Period | Salem | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.65 | 2.45 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.75 | 2.47 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.65 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.48 | 2.40 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.17 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Households in Salem run small, averaging 2.48 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Even so, the typical household here is bigger than in Wisconsin overall, where it has 2.40 people. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.65, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.7 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.7 | 39.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.6 | 40.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.2 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +7.6 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Salem skews older: half of its residents are older than 46.2, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 38.7 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.5% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.5% | 9.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Salem than nationally: 9.5%, against 11.6%. Wisconsin as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 2.0 points, 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 | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.0% | 30.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.4% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.2% | 33.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 23.0% | 32.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.9 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Salem is largely a place of homeowners: only 23.0% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 37.2% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. The renter share is up 6.9 points from 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 | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.8% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.9% | 10.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.1% | 10.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.6% | 9.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Salem than nationally: 7.6%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Vacancy has fallen 3.2 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Compared with other Wisconsin cities, though, Salem has a higher vacancy rate than most.
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 | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1982 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1971 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1972 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1974 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in Salem was built around 1983, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in Wisconsin as a whole, where the median home dates to 1974. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the northwest.
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 | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $866 | $758 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $923 | $821 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $995 | $904 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,236 | $1,139 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$370 | +$380 | +$606 |
Rent in Salem runs $1,236 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Still, rents here are higher than in Wisconsin overall ($1,139). Rents are up $370 a month from 2006–10, a 43% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 31.8% of household income on rent, 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 | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.1% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.2% | 28.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.3% | 30.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 29.4% | 33.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.3 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Salem than nationally: 29.4% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 8.3 points, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the south.
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 | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.6% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.5% | 90.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.5% | 93.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | +3.8 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Salem have finished high school (92.5%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Wisconsin. The share with a diploma is up 1.8 points from 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 | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 6.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 7.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.8% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 3.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.7 pts | −3.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Salem than nationally: unemployment was 4.3%, against 5.4%. Still, the rate is higher than in Wisconsin as a whole (3.3%). Unemployment has fallen 2.7 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 | 2.48 | 46.2 | 9.5% | 23.0% | 7.6% | 1983 | $1,236 | 29.4% | 92.5% | 4.3% |
| Paddock Lake | 2.25 | 42.7 | 7.7% | 16.1% | 5.8% | 1968 | $1,292 | 26.6% | 92.6% | 2.7% |
| Silver Lake | 2.40 | 47.3 | 6.2% | 13.3% | 7.4% | 1971 | $1,219 | 25.2% | 97.9% | 5.6% |
| Trevor | 2.57 | 41.8 | 4.3% | 14.0% | 7.2% | 1987 | $1,183 | 28.4% | 89.9% | 2.9% |
| Bristol | 2.66 | 42.4 | 3.8% | 25.4% | 6.9% | 1991 | $1,506 | 40.1% | 94.5% | 3.6% |
| Benet Lake | 2.12 | 54.7 | 4.0% | 20.9% | 4.3% | 1987 | $1,489 | 32.6% | 92.9% | 2.4% |
| Lake Shangrila | 2.48 | 37.8 | 4.7% | 11.7% | 5.3% | 1985 | $1,089 | 26.4% | 88.8% | 2.2% |
| Wilmot | 2.67 | 43.5 | 4.0% | 12.4% | 6.0% | 1972 | $1,215 | 38.4% | 89.0% | 2.5% |
| Channel Lake | 2.63 | 35.7 | 10.7% | 11.6% | 11.8% | 1977 | $1,756 | 23.0% | 97.2% | 2.7% |
| Wheatland | 2.71 | 47.7 | 3.5% | 27.2% | 3.0% | 1978 | $1,083 | 17.5% | 91.6% | 1.6% |
| Antioch | 2.73 | 40.3 | 13.2% | 20.4% | 9.6% | 1984 | $1,379 | 36.3% | 95.7% | 7.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Liberty, IN · Lochridge, TX · Livingston, AL · Linwood, NC · Lindsborg, KS · Linden, VA · Linden, NC · Lindale, GA · Lincolnton, GA · Lincoln, 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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