City · Kentucky
Salem, Kentucky
Salem, city, in Livingston County, Kentucky. Salem had 704 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 722 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 780 (±201). GEOID 2168052.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
704
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 722 · ACS 2020-2024: 780 ±201
Median household income
$61,667
±$24,719 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $63,726
Median home value
$102,400
±$20,492 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $205,600
Median gross rent
$678
±$194 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $967
Where is Salem and what county is it in?
Salem is a city in Livingston County, Kentucky. It covers 0.9 square miles of land, 847 residents per square mile in 2020.
Salem is in the Paducah, KY-IL metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 5 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
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 704 people lived in Salem on July 1, 2025, down 1.5% since 2020, while Kentucky grew 2.2%. The 2020 Census counted 722 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 780 (±201).
| Measure | Salem | Livingston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 780 ±201 | 8,903 | no clear change |
| Households | 268 ±66 | 3,603 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.69 ±0.56 | 2.45 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 306 ±71 | 4,640 | no clear change |
Salem's population since 2000
From 769 in 2000 to 704 in 2025: down 8.5%. 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 45.3 years old; 20.6% are under 18 and 27.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 87.4%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 11.4%.
| Measure | Salem | Livingston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.3 ±6.9 | 45.6 | −11.0 |
| Under 18 years | 20.6% ±10.4 pts | 22.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 27.3% ±8.0 pts | 22.4% | – |
| Male | 51.0% ±7.8 pts | 49.6% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 11.4% ±9.4 pts | 2.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 87.4% ±9.8 pts | 94.1% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.6 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.7 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±1.7 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.7% ±1.7 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.7% ±2.1 pts | 6.4% | – |
| With a disability | 20.6% ±7.9 pts | 26.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.7% ±3.3 pts | 4.5% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 88.7% ±6.5 pts | 91.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 14.8% ±5.4 pts | 14.7% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 8.3% ±3.9 pts | 6.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 85.3% ±5.9 pts | 93.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.9% ±3.0 pts | 1.9% | – |
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 268 households earn less than $61,667 a year (±$24,719), against $58,984 in Livingston County and $63,726 in Kentucky. In 2015-2019 it was $45,789 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 25.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Salem | Livingston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,667 ±$24,719 | $58,984 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $78,472 ±$16,768 | $75,697 | – |
| Per capita income | $27,749 ±$6,156 | $31,334 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 25.5% ±11.9 pts | 19.3% | +14.0 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 48.4% ±30.2 pts | 35.5% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 12.3% ±7.2 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 92.2% ±5.3 pts | 88.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.1% ±5.9 pts | 83.3% | – |
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 83.6% of Salem's occupied homes and renters 16.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $102,400 by its owner (±$20,492). The median renter pays $678 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Salem | Livingston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $102,400 ±$20,492 | $125,600 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $678 ±$194 | $926 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 30.6% ±24.4 pts | 43.9% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,217 ±$280 | $1,232 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 83.6% ±8.3 pts | 81.2% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 16.4% ±8.3 pts | 18.8% | – |
| Housing units | 306 ±71 | 4,640 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.9% ±4.9 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 8.9% ±14.1 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 82.4% ±8.2 pts | 72.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 10.8% ±5.5 pts | 24.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.6% ±3.0 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.6% ±3.4 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 12.7% ±7.7 pts | 5.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.0% ±3.9 pts | 3.2% | – |
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 do people in Salem work and get to work?
83.0% of Salem's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 33.4 minutes.
| Measure | Salem | Livingston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 46.7% ±8.5 pts | 54.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% ±4.6 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 83.0% ±10.7 pts | 78.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 8.5% ±7.5 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±12.0 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Walked | 4.4% ±4.8 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.1% ±4.4 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 33.4 min ±4.3 | 29.2 min | +7.5 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 401Livingston County | 2,941 | $62,583 |
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 Kentucky?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Salem is the 11,812th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 257th-most populous of 418 in Kentucky.
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 | 257th | 418 |
Salem's figures with every place in Kentucky (CSV)
Every place in Kentucky, 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?
21 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.