City · New Jersey
Salem, New Jersey
Salem, city, in Salem County, New Jersey. Salem had 5,389 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 5,296 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 5,322 (±38). GEOID 3465490.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
5,389
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 5,296 · ACS 2020-2024: 5,322 ±38
Median household income
$38,721
±$16,001 (90% margin)
New Jersey: $103,556
Median home value
$79,800
±$24,664 (90% margin)
New Jersey: $454,400
Median gross rent
$1,075
±$112 (90% margin)
New Jersey: $1,720
Where is Salem and what county is it in?
Salem is a city in Salem County, New Jersey. It covers 2.3 square miles of land, 2,259 residents per square mile in 2020.
Salem is in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 11 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 5,389 people lived in Salem on July 1, 2025, up 1.9% since 2020, slower than New Jersey (+2.8%). The 2020 Census counted 5,296 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 5,322 (±38).
| Measure | Salem | Salem County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 5,322 ±38 | 65,275 | +541 |
| Households | 2,386 ±201 | 24,846 | +522 |
| Average household size | 2.22 ±0.19 | 2.57 | −0.33 |
| Housing units | 3,073 ±202 | 27,732 | +411 |
Salem's population since 2000
From 5,857 in 2000 to 5,389 in 2025: down 8.0%. 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 36.9 years old; 27.3% are under 18 and 18.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 57.1%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 29.1%.
| Measure | Salem | Salem County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.9 ±3.5 | 41.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 27.3% ±5.1 pts | 21.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 18.4% ±3.4 pts | 19.1% | – |
| Male | 43.0% ±5.6 pts | 49.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 8.7% ±4.0 pts | 11.3% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 29.1% ±7.2 pts | 70.2% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 57.1% ±7.3 pts | 13.2% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.9% ±1.1 pts | 1.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.0% ±2.6 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.2% ±1.6 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 7.9% ±2.9 pts | 8.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.3% ±2.1 pts | 5.8% | – |
| With a disability | 22.0% ±4.0 pts | 15.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.7% ±2.5 pts | 4.7% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 80.9% ±6.9 pts | 90.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 15.0% ±4.9 pts | 25.0% | +7.8 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.1% ±2.6 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 80.7% ±7.2 pts | 90.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.8% ±1.3 pts | 1.7% | – |
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 2,386 households earn less than $38,721 a year (±$16,001), against $79,960 in Salem County and $103,556 in New Jersey. In 2015-2019 it was $30,676 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 24.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Salem | Salem County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $38,721 ±$16,001 | $79,960 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $55,394 ±$7,751 | $101,600 | – |
| Per capita income | $26,130 ±$3,447 | $40,283 | +$4,723 |
| People below the poverty line | 24.8% ±8.2 pts | 12.7% | −17.4 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 29.8% ±21.6 pts | 20.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 32.4% ±9.8 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 86.2% ±5.5 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 79.0% ±6.0 pts | 89.9% | – |
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 34.7% of Salem's occupied homes and renters 65.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $79,800 by its owner (±$24,664). The median renter pays $1,075 a month including utilities, and 56.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Salem | Salem County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $79,800 ±$24,664 | $239,500 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,075 ±$112 | $1,253 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 56.0% ±11.2 pts | 44.9% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,588 ±$138 | $2,074 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 34.7% ±8.1 pts | 71.0% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 65.3% ±8.1 pts | 29.0% | – |
| Housing units | 3,073 ±202 | 27,732 | +411 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 2.5% ±3.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.4% ±3.0 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 36.2% ±6.3 pts | 74.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.7% ±0.8 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.3% ±2.2 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 45.8% ±6.8 pts | 21.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 27.3% ±7.3 pts | 9.6% | – |
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 6 new housing units in Salem in 2025 (6 in single-family houses), 1.1 per 1,000 residents against 2.9 across New Jersey.
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?
63.3% of Salem's workers drive alone and 8.5% work from home. The average trip to work takes 28.7 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 10.2%.
| Measure | Salem | Salem County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 57.5% ±6.2 pts | 60.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 10.2% ±4.4 pts | 7.4% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 63.3% ±8.9 pts | 80.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 21.3% ±8.7 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 4.9% ±3.5 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Walked | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 8.5% ±4.9 pts | 9.5% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 28.7 min ±4.3 | 26.5 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 Salem?
3 census tracts lie mostly in Salem (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $46,709 (Tract 219) to $51,821 (Tract 221).
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 New Jersey?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Salem is the 4,694th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 188th-most populous of 323 in New Jersey.
Salem ranks 767th of 771 places in New Jersey with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 188th | 323 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 285th | 532 |
| Residents per square mile | 387th | 787 |
| Median household income | 767th | 771 |
| Per capita income | 761st | 785 |
| Median home value | 777th | 777 |
| Median gross rent | 683rd | 701 |
| Poverty rate | 16th | 539 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 761st | 780 |
| Median age | 701st | 786 |
| Owner-occupied share | 750th | 777 |
| Work from home | 613th | 695 |
| Travel time to work | 482nd | 787 |
Salem's figures with every place in New Jersey (CSV)
Every place in New Jersey, 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?
13 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.