Population 5,891 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in West Salem
Household size in West Salem
| Period | West Salem | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.84 | 2.47 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.84 | 2.44 | 2.51 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.68 | 2.39 | 2.47 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.90 | 2.38 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | −0.09 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in West Salem average 2.90 people, above the national 2.65, so families with children are more common here. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.84, even as the national average fell. Of the 372 Ohio cities with 5,000+ people, only 18 have larger 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 West Salem
| Period | West Salem | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.6 | 40.5 | 39.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.5 | 41.5 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.8 | 42.3 | 40.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.8 | 42.5 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.3 | +2.0 | +1.8 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in West Salem are younger than 39.8 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is younger than in the wider Cleveland area, where the median age is 42.5. The median age has climbed from 35.6 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 West Salem
| Period | West Salem | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 11.9% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.6% | 11.9% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.2% | 11.2% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.1% | 11.6% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in West Salem: 8.1% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share has fallen 1.6 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 West Salem
Renters in West Salem
| Period | West Salem | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.9% | 31.7% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.4% | 33.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.6% | 34.9% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 13.7% | 33.5% | 32.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | +1.7 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
West Salem is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 13.7% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. More than four in ten owners (43.6%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 2.2 points, even as the national share rose.
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 West Salem
| Period | West Salem | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.8% | 10.8% | 10.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 10.9% | 10.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.9% | 10.3% | 10.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 8.4% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −6.6 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in West Salem: just 5.2% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy has fallen 6.6 points since 2006–10, a much bigger 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 West Salem
| Period | West Salem | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1963 | 1968 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1979 | 1964 | 1969 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1964 | 1970 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1966 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in West Salem was built around 1983, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in the Cleveland area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1966. The median year built has moved up from 1979 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the northeast 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 West Salem
| Period | West Salem | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $668 | $833 | $765 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $703 | $872 | $814 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $779 | $949 | $901 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $816 | $1,216 | $1,142 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$148 | +$383 | +$377 | +$606 |
Rent in West Salem runs $816 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $148 a month from 2006–10, a 22% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 34.7% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Rents run highest in the northeast and lowest in the southwest.
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 West Salem
Bachelor's degrees in West Salem
| Period | West Salem | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 27.3% | 25.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.1% | 28.6% | 26.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.1% | 30.8% | 28.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.7% | 34.5% | 31.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.2 pts | +7.2 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in West Salem: 19.7% 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 9.2 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the northeast.
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 West Salem
| Period | West Salem | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.5% | 87.9% | 87.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.7% | 88.9% | 88.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.8% | 90.3% | 90.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.6% | 91.8% | 91.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in West Salem never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 3.1 points, in line with the national trend. Only eight of the 372 Ohio 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 West Salem
| Period | West Salem | Cleveland area | Ohio | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 9.3% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 10.1% | 9.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 6.5% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 5.6% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.5 pts | −3.7 pts | −3.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in West Salem runs below the national rate: 4.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 4.5 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. 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).
West 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Salem | 2.90 | 39.8 | 8.1% | 13.7% | 5.2% | 1983 | $816 | 19.7% | 83.6% | 4.1% |
| Pleasant Home | 3.79 | 31.5 | 4.3% | 12.2% | 5.9% | 1988 | $582 | 25.8% | 73.1% | 6.6% |
| Polk | 3.81 | 31.2 | 6.3% | 14.3% | 6.5% | 1991 | $592 | 25.3% | 74.6% | 8.0% |
| Redhaw | 3.51 | 32.9 | 7.5% | 9.9% | 5.3% | 1987 | $642 | 22.0% | 85.0% | 7.1% |
| Congress | 3.03 | 38.5 | 2.7% | 6.8% | 3.0% | 1978 | $744 | 24.8% | 87.9% | 2.1% |
| Homerville | 2.83 | 43.6 | 3.8% | 16.4% | 1.2% | 1991 | $1,372 | 30.1% | 83.4% | 1.4% |
| Lattasburg | 2.83 | 36.2 | 10.0% | 19.3% | 4.2% | 1979 | $879 | 23.4% | 93.4% | 0.7% |
| Golden Corners | 2.92 | 42.0 | 9.9% | 12.0% | 3.8% | 1979 | $932 | 14.4% | 87.6% | 3.8% |
| Sullivan | 2.39 | 48.7 | 6.6% | 11.3% | 5.6% | 1991 | $888 | 14.9% | 93.9% | 1.1% |
| Burbank | 2.76 | 45.2 | 8.2% | 9.8% | 4.9% | 1980 | $932 | 18.9% | 92.2% | 2.7% |
| Rowsburg | 2.43 | 50.7 | 9.0% | 7.9% | 3.9% | 1989 | $1,080 | 34.1% | 94.1% | 4.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Cape Neddick, ME · Chamberlayne, VA · Chadbourn, NC · Century, FL · Centerville, TN · Caruthersville, MO · Carneys Point, NJ · Carnation, WA · Carlisle, IA · Sunset, UT
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 West 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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