Salem, KY

Census Place

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2024 Population
780
US Senator
Mitch McConnell
Republican Party
US Senator
Rand Paul
Republican Party
2024 Poverty Rate
25.5%
34.6% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$61,667
0.681% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$102,400
2.4% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
294
8.98% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Salem, KY reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

100% of the residents in Salem, KY are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Salem, KY was $102,400, and the homeownership rate was 83.6%.

Most people in Salem, KY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 33.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Salem, KY was 2 cars per household.

United StatesKentuckyLivingston County, KYPaducah, KY-ILPennyrile Area Development District (North) PUMA, KY

Population & Diversity

Salem, KY is home to a population of 780 people, from which 100% are citizens. As of 2024, 0.256% of Salem, KY residents were born outside of the country (2 people).

In 2024, there were 10 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (682 people) in Salem, KY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 68 Black or African American (Hispanic) and 12 Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

100%
2024 Citizenship
100%
2023 Citizenship

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

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Salem, KY
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    682 ± 167
  2. Black or African American (Hispanic)
    68 ± 83
  3. Other (Hispanic)
    12 ± 21
11.4%
Hispanic Population
89 people

In 2024, there were 10 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (682 people) in Salem, KY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 68 Black or African American (Hispanic) and 12 Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

11.4% of the people in Salem, KY are hispanic (89 people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Kentucky.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    34,091 ± 4,516 people
  2. Cuba
    20,475 ± 3,505 people
  3. India
    12,629 ± 2,755 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Kentucky was Mexico, the natal country of 34,091 Kentucky residents, followed by Cuba with 20,475 and India with 12,629.

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Foreign-Born Population

0.256%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
2 people
0.256%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
2 people

As of 2024, 0.256% of Salem, KY residents (2 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, KY was 0.256%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    12 ± 21
  2. Korea
    3 ± 14
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    2 ± 14

Salem, KY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 4 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Salem, KY employs 294 people. In 2024, the largest industries in Salem, KY were Manufacturing (58 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (54 people), and Construction (36 people), and the highest paying industries were Other Services Except Public Administration ($72,083), Manufacturing ($57,813), and Educational Services ($50,625).

Employment

Occupations

294
2024 Value
± 95
−8.98%
1 Year decline
± 53.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Salem, KY declined at a rate of −8.98%, from 323 employees to 294 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Salem, KY, are Production Occupations (46 people), Construction & Extraction Occupations (40 people), and Management Occupations (28 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Salem, KY.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Kentucky (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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

294
2024 Value
± 95
−8.98%
1 Year decline
± 53.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Salem, KY declined at a rate of −8.98%, from 323 employees to 294 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Salem, KY, are Manufacturing (58 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (54 people), and Construction (36 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Salem, KY, though some of these residents may live in Salem, KY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$42,857
Median earning men ± $12,529
$40,500
Median earning women ± $18,181

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Other Services Except Public Administration ($72,083), Manufacturing ($59,063), and Construction ($48,750).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($49,531), Manufacturing ($37,500), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($23,750).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.
Y-Axis
2.51%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.98M people employed in Kentucky. This represents a 2.51% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14.4%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Kentucky.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Kentucky went to Donald J. Trump with 64.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (33.9%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.808%).

Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are the senators currently representing the state of Kentucky. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Kentucky is currently represented by 6 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Salem, KY. Showing the available data for Kentucky.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (64.5%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (33.9%)
    Democratic Party
  3. Robert Kennedy (0.808%)
    Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Kentucky went to Donald J. Trump with 64.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (33.9%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.808%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Kentucky for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Kentucky

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.
Mitch McConnell
Senator from Kentucky2
Assumed office on January 3, 1985
Rand Paul
Senator from Kentucky3
Assumed office on January 3, 2011

Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are the senators currently representing Kentucky.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Kentucky over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Salem, KY was $102,400 in 2024, which is 0.308 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $100,000 to $102,400, a 2.4% increase. The homeownership rate in Salem, KY is 83.6%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Salem, KY have an average commute time of 33.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Salem, KY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$102,400
Median Property Value 2024
±$20,492
$224
Median Property Taxes
±$59

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, KY the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

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Rent vs Own

83.6%
Homeownership
2024
59.6%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 83.6% of the housing units in Salem, KY were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 76%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$61,667
Median Household Income
± $24,719
268
Number of Households
± 59

In 2024, the median household income of the 268 households in Salem, KY grew to $61,667 from the previous year's value of $61,250.

The following chart displays the households in Salem, KY 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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Salem, KY is from Kentucky.
0.449
2023 Wage GINI in Kentucky
0.452
2022 Wage GINI in Kentucky

In 2023, the income inequality in Kentucky was 0.449 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.729% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Kentucky was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Kentucky in comparison to the national average.

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

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (83%)
  2. Carpooled (8.5%)
  3. Walked (4.42%)

In 2024, 83% of workers in Salem, KY drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.5%) and those who walked to work (4.42%).

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.

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Commute Time

33.4 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Salem, KY have a longer commute time (33.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.06% of the workforce in Salem, KY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

25.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Salem, KY (186 out of 729 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 Males < 5, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Salem, KY is White, followed by Hispanic and Black.

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.

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Health

96.3% of the population of Salem, KY has health coverage, with 43.5% on employee plans, 23.5% on Medicaid, 20.9% on Medicare, 7.82% on non-group plans, and 0.686% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Kentucky see 1,601 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,601 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1502 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 320 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 53.8% were men and 46.2% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.6% under 18 years, 17.1% between 18 and 34 years, 35% between 35 and 64 years, and 23.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 53.8% were men and 46.2% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

3.7%
Uninsured
43.5%
Employer Coverage
23.5%
Medicaid
20.9%
Medicare
7.82%
Non-Group
0.686%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Salem, KY declined by 20.7% from 4.67% to 3.7%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Salem, KY changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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