Town · Massachusetts
Salisbury, Massachusetts
Salisbury, town, in Essex County, Massachusetts. Salisbury had 9,530 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 3.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 9,236 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 9,281 (±18). GEOID 2500959245.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
9,530
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 9,236 · ACS 2020-2024: 9,281 ±18
Median household income
$93,361
±$5,840 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $103,960
Median home value
$478,700
±$27,192 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $562,100
Median gross rent
$1,691
±$411 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $1,762
Where is Salisbury and what county is it in?
Salisbury is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts. It covers 15.4 square miles of land, 601 residents per square mile in 2020.
One place lies inside Salisbury: Salisbury (CDP, 5,629 in 2020).
Salisbury is in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 7 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 Salisbury, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 9,530 people lived in Salisbury on July 1, 2025, up 3.3% since 2020, faster than Massachusetts (+1.7%). The 2020 Census counted 9,236 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 9,281 (±18).
| Measure | Salisbury | Essex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 9,281±18 | 813,054 | −79 |
| Households | 4,148±234 | 313,147 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.22±0.13 | 2.54 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 5,040±262 | 329,776 | no clear change |
Salisbury's population since 2000
From 7,827 in 2000 to 9,530 in 2025: up 21.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Salisbury 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 Salisbury?
The median resident of Salisbury is 51.3 years old; 13.1% are under 18 and 25.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 84.1%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 6.2%. 6.4% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Salisbury | Essex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.3±3.5 | 41.2 | +4.5 |
| Under 18 years | 13.1%±2.0 pts | 20.8% | – |
| 65 years and over | 25.5%±2.9 pts | 18.5% | – |
| Male | 49.1%±3.2 pts | 48.6% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 6.2%±3.5 pts | 24.1% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 84.1%±5.2 pts | 64.5% | −8.7 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.3%±1.2 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 2.1%±1.7 pts | 3.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.1%±0.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.7%±2.8 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.6%±2.5 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 6.4%±2.5 pts | 19.1% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 8.7%±2.9 pts | 28.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.8%±3.5 pts | 4.3% | – |
| With a disability | 15.6%±3.1 pts | 12.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.0%±2.6 pts | 2.8% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 93.5%±2.0 pts | 90.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 43.8%±5.5 pts | 43.0% | +8.0 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 15.6%±3.1 pts | 17.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 89.1%±3.8 pts | 90.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.7%±2.0 pts | 1.4% | – |
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 Salisbury earn?
Half of Salisbury's 4,148 households earn less than $93,361 a year (±$5,840), against $101,883 in Essex County and $103,960 in Massachusetts. In 2015-2019 it was $100,060 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 5.0% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Salisbury | Essex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $93,361±$5,840 | $101,883 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $115,941±$9,659 | $140,098 | – |
| Per capita income | $52,352±$4,278 | $54,665 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 5.0%±1.8 pts | 9.4% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.5%±1.4 pts | 11.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 11.1%±3.9 pts | 16.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.0%±2.3 pts | 95.2% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 91.8%±3.9 pts | 92.4% | – |
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 Salisbury?
Owners occupy 71.2% of Salisbury's occupied homes and renters 28.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $478,700 by its owner (±$27,192). The median renter pays $1,691 a month including utilities, and 55.6% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Salisbury | Essex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $478,700±$27,192 | $619,100 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,691±$411 | $1,756 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 55.6%±10.5 pts | 46.4% | +16.5 pts |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,579±$149 | $2,867 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 71.2%±5.3 pts | 63.5% | −10.4 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 28.8%±5.3 pts | 36.5% | – |
| Housing units | 5,040±262 | 329,776 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±1.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 4.4%±4.2 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 51.7%±5.0 pts | 49.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 3.9%±2.2 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.4%±0.7 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 12.0%±3.2 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 18.4%±4.3 pts | 34.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.6%±2.8 pts | 9.3% | – |
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 Salisbury building?
Builders took permits for 75 new housing units in Salisbury in 2025 (32 in single-family houses; the permit office reported 1 of 12 months), 7.9 per 1,000 residents against 1.7 across Massachusetts.
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 Salisbury work and get to work?
72.8% of Salisbury's workers drive alone and 19.8% work from home. The average trip to work takes 27.6 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 6.9%.
| Measure | Salisbury | Essex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 63.7%±3.3 pts | 67.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 6.9%±4.4 pts | 5.1% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 72.8%±5.6 pts | 67.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 6.6%±4.2 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.5%±0.6 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Walked | 0.1%±0.2 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 19.8%±6.0 pts | 16.4% | +13.2 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 27.6 min±3.8 | 28.5 min | no clear change |
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 Salisbury?
3 census tracts lie mostly in Salisbury (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $86,073 (Tract 2671.04) to $104,138 (Tract 2671.02).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 2671.02Essex County | 5,366 | $104,138 |
| Tract 2671.04Essex County | 2,217 | $86,073 |
| Tract 2671.03Essex County | 1,698 | $95,234 |
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 Salisbury) · Census block assignment files
How does Salisbury compare with other places in Massachusetts?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Salisbury is the 1,290th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 106th-most populous of 266 in Massachusetts.
Salisbury ranks 312th of 453 places in Massachusetts with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 106th | 266 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 66th | 292 |
| Residents per square mile | 290th | 461 |
| Median household income | 312th | 453 |
| Per capita income | 281st | 460 |
| Median home value | 263rd | 459 |
| Median gross rent | 178th | 410 |
| Poverty rate | 226th | 338 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 259th | 459 |
| Median age | 98th | 461 |
| Owner-occupied share | 330th | 460 |
| Work from home | 181st | 429 |
| Travel time to work | 295th | 459 |
Salisbury's figures with every place in Massachusetts (CSV)
Every place in Massachusetts, sortable · Compare Salisbury 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 Salisbury?
12 of the 57 figures for Salisbury 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 Salisbury 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' school search.