City · Iowa
Salem, Iowa
Salem, city, in Henry County, Iowa. Salem had 381 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 4.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 394 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 349 (±93). GEOID 1970230.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
381
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 394 · ACS 2020-2024: 349 ±93
Median household income
$51,250
±$11,355 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$85,700
±$10,152 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$922
±$289 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Salem and what county is it in?
Salem is a city in Henry County, Iowa. It covers 0.6 square miles of land, 629 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Salem, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 381 people lived in Salem on July 1, 2025, down 4.5% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 394 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 349 (±93).
| Measure | Salem | Henry County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 349 ±93 | 20,004 | no clear change |
| Households | 150 ±33 | 7,644 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.33 ±0.49 | 2.40 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 156 ±33 | 8,445 | no clear change |
Salem's population since 2000
From 464 in 2000 to 381 in 2025: down 17.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Salem as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Salem?
The median resident of Salem is 44.5 years old; 23.2% are under 18 and 22.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 84.2%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 6.6%.
| Measure | Salem | Henry County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.5 ±16.6 | 41.1 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 23.2% ±9.5 pts | 20.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 22.1% ±10.0 pts | 20.2% | – |
| Male | 42.1% ±6.1 pts | 52.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 6.6% ±8.0 pts | 5.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 84.2% ±11.4 pts | 86.2% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.4% ±1.9 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.4% ±1.9 pts | 0.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.4% ±5.5 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.9% ±1.5 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.4% ±1.9 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.7% ±2.9 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.3% ±4.7 pts | 7.0% | – |
| With a disability | 22.8% ±9.4 pts | 16.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.5% ±2.8 pts | 4.7% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 91.6% ±4.6 pts | 91.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 9.6% ±7.5 pts | 23.0% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.4% ±2.6 pts | 7.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.4% ±8.3 pts | 87.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.4% ±2.6 pts | 2.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Salem earn?
Half of Salem's 150 households earn less than $51,250 a year (±$11,355), against $67,436 in Henry County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $49,997 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 18.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Salem | Henry County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,250 ±$11,355 | $67,436 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $61,151 ±$10,189 | $83,722 | – |
| Per capita income | $26,042 ±$4,300 | $33,208 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 18.1% ±8.2 pts | 12.0% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 13.6% ±17.7 pts | 15.2% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 20.7% ±11.8 pts | 9.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.3% ±4.1 pts | 94.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 85.3% ±7.6 pts | 87.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Salem?
Owners occupy 82.7% of Salem's occupied homes and renters 17.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $85,700 by its owner (±$10,152). The median renter pays $922 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Salem | Henry County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $85,700 ±$10,152 | $164,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $922 ±$289 | $820 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 44.0% ±37.6 pts | 32.8% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $978 ±$192 | $1,315 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 82.7% ±9.7 pts | 74.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 17.3% ±9.7 pts | 25.9% | – |
| Housing units | 156 ±33 | 8,445 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±18.2 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±51.0 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 84.0% ±8.2 pts | 77.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 8.3% ±5.5 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±14.8 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 7.7% ±7.7 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 48.1% ±12.1 pts | 31.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.7% ±3.6 pts | 4.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Salem building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Salem in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 4.2 across Iowa.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Salem work and get to work?
79.0% of Salem's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 30.6 minutes.
| Measure | Salem | Henry County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 55.1% ±11.7 pts | 58.6% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% ±5.7 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 79.0% ±11.3 pts | 81.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 12.6% ±9.7 pts | 9.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±16.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 4.2% ±6.1 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.2% ±4.7 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 30.6 min ±7.0 | 19.6 min | +11.7 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Salem?
No census tract lies mostly in Salem; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9702Henry County | 2,873 | $80,081 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Salem) · Census block assignment files
How does Salem compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Salem is the 14,300th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 497th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Salem is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 497th | 939 |
Salem's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Salem with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Salem?
26 of the 57 figures for Salem on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Salem are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Salem.