Tool
Compare places
Put up to four U.S. cities, towns or census-designated places side by side on 29 figures: 22 measures from the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, each with its margin, and their 2025 population estimate, growth, density, new homes and housing costs against income. A filled square marks a figure that differs from the first place by more than both margins of error allow; without it, the survey cannot tell the two apart.
How do Salem, MA compare?
| Figure | Salem, MA |
|---|---|
| Residents, July 2025 (estimate) | 45,381 |
| Change since April 2020 | +2.0% |
| Residents counted in the 2020 Census | 44,480 |
| Residents per square mile (2020) | 5,363 |
| Homes permitted in 2025 per 1,000 residents | 1.8 |
| Median home value ÷ median household income | 6.4 years of income |
| A year of median rent ÷ median income of all households (renters usually earn less) | 25.9% |
| Measure | Salem, MA |
|---|---|
| Total population | 44,795±33 |
| Median age | 39.3±1.5 |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 20.7%±2.6 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 66.4%±3.0 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 4.6%±1.2 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 3.4%±1.1 pts |
| Born outside the United States | 16.3%±1.8 pts |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 47.8%±2.5 pts |
| Median household income | $85,153±$5,154 |
| Per capita income | $50,339±$2,150 |
| People below the poverty line | 12.1%±2.5 pts |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1%±1.2 pts |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $542,800±$17,690 |
| Median gross rent | $1,836±$84 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 44.1%±5.0 pts |
| Owner-occupied homes | 49.7%±3.2 pts |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.6%±0.4 pts |
| Worked from home | 21.6%±2.6 pts |
| Drove alone to work | 55.9%±3.0 pts |
| Public transportation | 5.3%±1.3 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 28.5 min±1.5 |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.1%±0.9 pts |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025; 2020 Census; Building Permits Survey 2025 · Check it at data.census.gov