City · North Dakota
New Salem, North Dakota
New Salem, city, in Morton County, North Dakota. New Salem had 1,082 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 11.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 973 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 780 (±200). GEOID 3856700.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,082
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 973 · ACS 2020-2024: 780 ±200
Median household income
$69,519
±$11,789 (90% margin)
North Dakota: $76,657
Median home value
$187,000
±$25,702 (90% margin)
North Dakota: $249,900
Median gross rent
$871
±$111 (90% margin)
North Dakota: $954
Where is New Salem and what county is it in?
New Salem is a city in Morton County, North Dakota. It covers 1.4 square miles of land, 703 residents per square mile in 2020.
New Salem is in the Bismarck, ND metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 3 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 New Salem, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,082 people lived in New Salem on July 1, 2025, up 11.0% since 2020, faster than North Dakota (+2.6%). The 2020 Census counted 973 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 780 (±200).
| Measure | New Salem | Morton County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 780 ±200 | 33,777 | −357 |
| Households | 281 ±68 | 13,946 | −230 |
| Average household size | 2.44 ±0.33 | 2.37 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 377 ±95 | 15,465 | −188 |
New Salem's population since 2000
From 938 in 2000 to 1,082 in 2025: up 15.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for New 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 New Salem?
The median resident of New Salem is 39.8 years old; 24.1% are under 18 and 28.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 97.4%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 1.7%.
| Measure | New Salem | Morton County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.8 ±9.6 | 37.6 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 24.1% ±6.3 pts | 22.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 28.5% ±9.0 pts | 17.3% | – |
| Male | 42.1% ±6.9 pts | 50.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 4.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 97.4% ±2.6 pts | 86.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.2 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.2 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.7% ±2.4 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±1.0 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.1% ±0.4 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.3% ±3.6 pts | 8.0% | – |
| With a disability | 9.5% ±4.0 pts | 9.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.8% ±2.4 pts | 5.6% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.8% ±3.7 pts | 94.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 20.1% ±6.9 pts | 28.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.4% ±3.3 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 85.9% ±7.0 pts | 89.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.8% ±1.1 pts | 1.8% | – |
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 New Salem earn?
Half of New Salem's 281 households earn less than $69,519 a year (±$11,789), against $79,382 in Morton County and $76,657 in North Dakota. In 2015-2019 it was $78,398 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 6.9% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | New Salem | Morton County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,519 ±$11,789 | $79,382 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $77,201 ±$9,982 | $109,606 | – |
| Per capita income | $30,566 ±$4,362 | $46,235 | −$8,707 |
| People below the poverty line | 6.9% ±3.8 pts | 8.0% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 4.2% ±4.6 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 7.1% ±3.7 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Households with a computer | 91.1% ±3.9 pts | 95.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 79.7% ±8.5 pts | 91.4% | – |
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 New Salem?
Owners occupy 71.2% of New Salem's occupied homes and renters 28.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $187,000 by its owner (±$25,702). The median renter pays $871 a month including utilities, and 31.1% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | New Salem | Morton County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $187,000 ±$25,702 | $263,900 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $871 ±$111 | $1,076 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 31.1% ±16.4 pts | 36.3% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,383 ±$71 | $1,763 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 71.2% ±9.2 pts | 74.2% | −13.3 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 28.8% ±9.2 pts | 25.8% | – |
| Housing units | 377 ±95 | 15,465 | −188 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.4% ±4.0 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±26.1 pts | 5.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 85.7% ±5.4 pts | 65.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.9% ±3.9 pts | 12.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.1% ±2.1 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.5% ±3.7 pts | 17.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 26.3% ±10.2 pts | 10.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.6% ±2.7 pts | 2.5% | – |
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 New Salem building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in New Salem in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 3.1 across North Dakota.
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 New Salem work and get to work?
86.7% of New Salem's workers drive alone and 7.5% work from home. The average trip to work takes 21.9 minutes.
| Measure | New Salem | Morton County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 62.1% ±10.9 pts | 69.6% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.1% ±3.1 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 86.7% ±5.7 pts | 78.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 3.6% ±3.9 pts | 9.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±6.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 1.7% ±1.5 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Worked from home | 7.5% ±3.8 pts | 10.6% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 21.9 min ±4.8 | 19.8 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 New Salem?
No census tract lies mostly in New Salem; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 205Morton County | 3,075 | $71,042 |
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 New Salem) · Census block assignment files
How does New Salem compare with other places in North Dakota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, New Salem is the 9,968th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 46th-most populous of 355 in North Dakota.
New 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 | 46th | 355 |
New Salem's figures with every place in North Dakota (CSV)
Every place in North Dakota, sortable · Compare New 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 New Salem?
22 of the 57 figures for New 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 New 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 New Salem.