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Place dossier plate
SheetND-NEW-SALEM-ND · New Salem, ND 904 pop · income 49th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around New Salem
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest New Salem on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Walhalla · lowest
30,774
Walhalla · lowest
30,774 median HH income
15.5% of the leader · rank #1
New Salem · this city
69,750
New Salem · this city
69,750 median HH income
35.2% of the leader · rank #2
Shellsburg · near
69,750
Shellsburg · near
69,750 median HH income
35.2% of the leader · rank #3
Wright · near
69,750
Wright · near
69,750 median HH income
35.2% of the leader · rank #4
Woodsdale · near
69,750
Woodsdale · near
69,750 median HH income
35.2% of the leader · rank #5
Tower City · near
69,750
Tower City · near
69,750 median HH income
35.2% of the leader · rank #6
Reile's Acres · highest
198,333
Reile's Acres · highest
198,333 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for New Salem on ACS population and median household income
. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 904.
Nationally, New Salem sits in the 49th percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.
49th
percentile, household income
35th
percentile, home value
7th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: New Salem, ND
904 people live in New Salem, North Dakota - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. New Salem households earn a median of $69,750 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 5.6%. New Salem's housing stock carries a median value of $173,400, and the median resident age is 38.4 years. Educational attainment runs 18.3% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 62.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 5 residential building permits were authorized in New Salem (Construction Slowdown), down 69% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. NOAA puts New Salem's yearly average temperature at 41.5°F with 18.3 inches of precipitation per year and 44.5 inches of snowfall.
Living costs in North Dakota run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, North Dakota scores 89.0 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $965 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $200 across North Dakota, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 22.2 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of New Salem's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from comparison shortlist to housing and income to schools and households to work and mobility to population change to climate and hazard context; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For New Salem, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, annual population history, commute-mode shares, local building permits.
No matched row is reported here for FBI reported-crime rates, within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
Which cities make useful reference points for New Salem?
Within North Dakota, the closest population matches are Cooperstown (910 residents, $51,932 income); Green Acres (914 residents, $46,429 income); Reile's Acres (888 residents, $198,333 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Hessmer, LA (904 residents); West Mansfield, OH (904 residents); Pond Creek, OK (904 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.
How far does income reach against housing in New Salem?
The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.5 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 5.6%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.
What does the education layer cover for New Salem?
The NCES join finds 2 public schools within the city match. 18.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
What does the journey to work look like in New Salem?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. The profile is strongly car-oriented, so a relocation comparison should put trip distance, vehicle access, and household fuel costs ahead of a citywide commute average. The same-state peer links offer a more relevant benchmark than a national label.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 85.0%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Population change
Is New Salem growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +101 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +10.3% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 5 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+10.3%
2025 estimate
1,082
2020 estimate
981
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 41.5°F, with 18.3 inches of precipitation and 44.5 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for North Dakota is 22.2 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
Mean temperature
41.5°F
Annual precipitation
18.3 in
FEMA risk index (state avg)
22.2
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
Below median income · poverty 5.6% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
89.0 (US=100)
Affordable · BEA RPP 2024, North Dakota average
C
City profile score · New Salem, ND
58/100
4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living A
89.0 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Poverty rate C+
5.6%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income D
$69,750
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share F
18.3%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime N/A
N/A
No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).
New Salem profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 89/100 (A) · 89.0 index
Poverty rate: 62/100 (C+) · 5.6%
Household income: 49/100 (D) · $69,750
Bachelor's+ share: 29/100 (F) · 18.3%
How does New Salem compare to other US cities?
Where New Salem sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income49% higher than other cities
Home value35% pricier than other cities
Median rent7% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares New Salem against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to North Dakota only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
North Dakota-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places New Salem near the bottom of North Dakota's cities
Among the 246 North Dakota cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, New Salem ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares New Salem only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#112 of 227
51st percentile in North Dakota
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 246
0th percentile in North Dakota
Median Home Value
#71 of 226
69th percentile in North Dakota
Poverty Rate
#120 of 246
51st percentile in North Dakota
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#161 of 246
33rd percentile in North Dakota
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within North Dakota only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
49th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How New Salem's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$173,400Among the most affordablemore affordable than 65% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
New Salem's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.5×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#3,930 of 15,516
More affordable than 75% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#3,545 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 2.5×, New Salem sits in the affordable band:
national rank #3,930 of 15,516 and #3,545 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$69,750New Salem, ND median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context New Salem, ND median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for New Salem, ND.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)18.3%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)5.6%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)62.8%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
904
Median Income
$69,750
Median Home Value
$173,400
Median Age
38.4
Poverty Rate
5.6%
Labor force participation
62.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
18.3%
Climate
Avg Temperature
41.5°F
Annual Precipitation
18.3"
Annual Snowfall
44.5"
Schools
Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
New Salem's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
981 residents
2021
1,036 residents
2022
1,054 residents
2023
1,059 residents
2024
1,068 residents
2025
1,082 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
5
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
5
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
5.5
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
16
3
13
$2.5M
2020
18
3
15
$2.8M
2021
20
3
17
$3.1M
2022
1
1
0
$0.2M
2023
6
1
5
$0.9M
2024
5
0
5
$0.7M
Permit volume decreased 69% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
85.0%
Carpool
5.8%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.2%
Work from Home
6.2%
Other
1.8%
Based on 433 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
North Dakota statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $200
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across North Dakota at $200 (electricity about $90 , water and sewer about $40 ).
These are North Dakota statewide averages, not a meter reading for New Salem. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
North Dakota's BEA cost-of-living index is 89.0 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around New Salem is $965/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to North Dakota statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 22.2 / 100 (Very Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a North Dakota statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county New Salem sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How New Salem compares to similar-size North Dakota cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.