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, OR compare?
| Figure | Salem, OR |
|---|---|
| Residents, July 2025 (estimate) | 181,779 |
| Change since April 2020 | +3.6% |
| Residents counted in the 2020 Census | 175,535 |
| Residents per square mile (2020) | 3,586 |
| Homes permitted in 2025 per 1,000 residents | 4.3 |
| Median home value ÷ median household income | 5.5 years of income |
| A year of median rent ÷ median income of all households (renters usually earn less) | 22.3% |
| Measure | Salem, OR |
|---|---|
| Total population | 178,865±60 |
| Median age | 36.0±0.6 |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 25.4%±1.1 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 61.3%±1.1 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.6%±0.3 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 3.6%±0.4 pts |
| Born outside the United States | 12.8%±0.7 pts |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 31.5%±1.2 pts |
| Median household income | $75,487±$2,354 |
| Per capita income | $38,066±$1,227 |
| People below the poverty line | 14.4%±1.2 pts |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8%±0.8 pts |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $416,900±$6,183 |
| Median gross rent | $1,400±$29 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 45.1%±3.3 pts |
| Owner-occupied homes | 55.9%±1.5 pts |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.8%±0.4 pts |
| Worked from home | 15.8%±1.4 pts |
| Drove alone to work | 65.3%±1.8 pts |
| Public transportation | 1.6%±0.6 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 22.0 min±0.6 |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.4%±0.8 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