Census place 5170000

Salem

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: Salem city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Salem.

According to the 2025 estimate, Salem has a population of 25,816 and 1,778 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 39 covered Virginia places are: median home value is $258,600, below the comparison median of $343,000; population density is 1,778/sq mi, below the comparison median of 2,332/sq mi; and typical commute is 19 minutes, below the comparison median of 23.4 minutes. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

median home value
$258,600
Below the comparison median of $343,000
population density
1,778/sq mi
Below the comparison median of 2,332/sq mi
typical commute
19 minutes
Below the comparison median of 23.4 minutes

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare Salem's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
25,816
2025 estimate
Annual change
+0.3%
Population estimate
Density
1,778/sq mi
14.5 sq mi land area
Median age
40 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$66,725
Median home value
$258,600
Median gross rent
$1,133
Bachelor’s degree or higher
33%
Typical commute
19 min
Drive-alone commute
76.7%
Public transit commute
0.1%
Walked to work
5.1%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
37.2%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
50.8%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
57.5%
Unemployed residents 16+
2.1%
Working from home
10.8%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
91.1%
Homes built 2020+
0.8%
Households without a vehicle
6.4%
Households with children
26.7%
Residents with a disability
12.6%
Residents without insurance
4.3%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Salem city provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
6
Hurricane declarations
3
Severe Storm declarations
3

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: ROANOKE-BLACKSBURG RGNL AP (6 mi from place center)
Average high
68.5°F
Average low
47.6°F
Annual rainfall
42.8"
Annual snowfall
14.8"

Month by month

A year in Salem.

Typical high and low °F
20°F40°F60°F80°F100°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

Ozark, MO

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
23,544
Median home
$254,800

Christiansburg, VA

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
22,442
Median home
$252,600

Gardner, KS

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
26,154
Median home
$306,200

Keep exploring

Compare Salem with Ozark