Salem, IA

Census Place

2024 Population

349

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

44.5

7.68% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

18.1%

77.1% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$51,250

14% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$85,700

Population & Diversity

Salem, IA is home to a population of 349 people, from which 100% are citizens.

As of 2024, 1.43% of Salem, IA residents were born outside of the country (5 people).

In 2024, there were 15.5 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (294 people) in Salem, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 19 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 19 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

100%

2024 Citizenship

99.7%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 100% of Salem, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Salem, IA was 99.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Salem, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Salem, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
294 ± 74
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
19 ± 21
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
19 ± 30

6.59%

Hispanic Population

23 people

6.59% of the people in Salem, IA are hispanic (23 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Salem, IA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Iowa.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
44,333 ± 5,134 people
India
11,889 ± 2,672 people
Guatemala
8,189 ± 2,219 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Iowa was Mexico, the natal country of 44,333 Iowa residents, followed by India with 11,889 and Guatemala with 8,189.

Foreign-Born Population

1.43%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

5 people

1.65%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

6 people

As of 2024, 1.43% of Salem, IA residents (5 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Salem, IA was 1.65%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Salem, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
6 ± 15
Gulf War (1990s)
3 ± 11
Gulf War (2001-)
1 ± 14

Salem, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Salem, IA.

Economy

The economy of Salem, IA employs 141 people. In 2024, the largest industries in Salem, IA were Manufacturing (40 people), Construction (14 people), and Retail Trade (14 people), and the highest paying industries were Health Care & Social Assistance ($50,833), Finance & Insurance ($45,000), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($45,000).

Employment

Occupations

141

2024 Value

± 63

−16.6%

1 Year decline

± 73%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Salem, IA declined at a rate of −16.6%, from 169 employees to 141 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Salem, IA, are Production Occupations (34 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (17 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (14 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Salem, IA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Iowa (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

141

2024 Value

± 63

−16.6%

1 Year decline

± 73%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Salem, IA declined at a rate of −16.6%, from 169 employees to 141 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Salem, IA, are Manufacturing (40 people), Construction (14 people), and Retail Trade (14 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Salem, IA, though some of these residents may live in Salem, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$45,179

Median earning men ± $8,035

$28,333

Median earning women ± $6,546

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Manufacturing ($56,875) and Construction ($41,875).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($45,000), Manufacturing ($34,583), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($28,750).

Housing & Living

The median property value in Salem, IA was $85,700 in 2024, which is 0.258 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $75,000 to $85,700, a 14.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Salem, IA is 82.7%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Salem, IA have an average commute time of 30.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Salem, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$85,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$10,152

$124

Median Property Taxes

±$34

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Salem, IA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Salem, IA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

82.7%

Homeownership

2024

58.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 82.7% of the housing units in Salem, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 83.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Salem, IA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$51,250

Median Household Income

± $11,355

150

Number of Households

± 37

In 2024, the median household income of the 150 households in Salem, IA declined from $51,250 from the previous year's value of $59,583.

The following chart displays the households in Salem, IA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Salem, IA is from Iowa.

0.435

2024 Wage GINI in Iowa

0.441

2023 Wage GINI in Iowa

In 2024, the income inequality in Iowa was 0.435 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.29% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Iowa was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Iowa in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Iowa across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (79%)
Carpooled (12.6%)
Walked (4.2%)

In 2024, 79% of workers in Salem, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (12.6%) and those who walked to work (4.2%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

30.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Salem, IA have a longer commute time (30.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 8.03% of the workforce in Salem, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Salem, IA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Salem, IA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Salem, IA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

18.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Salem, IA (63 out of 349 people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 45 - 54, followed by Females 12 - 14 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Salem, IA is White, followed by Two Or More and Asian.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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