Salem, NC

Census Place

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2023 Population

2,035

24.5% 1-year growth

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

42.8

7% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

19.9%

0.193% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$66,653

20.8% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$159,300

13.4% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

887

22.2% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Salem, NC had a population of 2.04k people with a median age of 42.8 and a median household income of $66,653. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Salem, NC grew from 1,634 to 2,035, a 24.5% increase and its median household income grew from $55,156 to $66,653, a 20.8% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Salem, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (77.4%), Other (Hispanic) (11.3%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (4.37%), White (Hispanic) (3.14%), and Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander (Non-Hispanic) (1.57%).

None of the households in Salem, NC 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.

94.4% of the residents in Salem, NC are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Salem, NC was $159,300, and the homeownership rate was 74.2%.

Most people in Salem, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Salem, NC was 2 cars per household.

United States North Carolina Burke County, NC Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Burke & McDowell Counties PUMA, NC

Population & Diversity

Salem, NC is home to a population of 2.04k people, from which 94.4% are citizens. As of 2023, 6.14% of Salem, NC residents were born outside of the country (125 people).

In 2023, there were 6.85 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.58k people) in Salem, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 230 Other (Hispanic) and 89 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

94.4%

2023 Citizenship

95%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 94.4% of Salem, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Salem, NC was 95%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Salem, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
1.58k ± 375
Other (Hispanic)
230 ± 233
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
89 ± 70.2

15.1%

Hispanic Population

308 people

15.1% of the people in Salem, NC are hispanic (308 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Salem, NC 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 North Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
214,508 ± 11,254 people
India
79,868 ± 6,912 people
Honduras
39,759 ± 4,886 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 214,508 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 79,868 and Honduras with 39,759.

Foreign-Born Population

6.14%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

125 people

5.51%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

90 people

As of 2023, 6.14% of Salem, NC residents (125 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Salem, NC was 5.51%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
116 ± 60
Gulf War (1990s)
32 ± 58
Gulf War (2001-)
0 ± 24

Salem, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.63 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Salem, NC employs 887 people. The largest industries in Salem, NC are Manufacturing (322 people), Retail Trade (128 people), and Educational Services (79 people), and the highest paying industries are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($57,870), Public Administration ($49,938), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($46,125).

Males in North Carolina have an average income that is 1.31 times higher than the average income of females, which is $57,464. The income inequality in North Carolina (measured using the Gini index) is 0.47, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

887

2023 Value

± 216

22.2%

1 Year growth

± 28.8%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Salem, NC grew at a rate of 22.2%, from 726 employees to 887 employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Salem, NC, are Production Occupations (213 people), Sales & Related Occupations (102 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (93 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Salem, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (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

887

2023 Value

± 216

22.2%

1 Year growth

± 28.8%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Salem, NC grew at a rate of 22.2%, from 726 employees to 887 employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Salem, NC, are Manufacturing (322 people), Retail Trade (128 people), and Educational Services (79 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Salem, NC, though some of these residents may live in Salem, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$44,044

Median earning men ± $10,276

$40,109

Median earning women ± $12,729

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Retail Trade ($55,304), Public Administration ($50,250), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($46,125).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($58,657), Public Administration ($46,923), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($40,915).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

3.04%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% 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 10.9%.

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

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.944% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.805% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (2.16M), Some college (1.84M), and Bachelors Degree (1.63M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Salem, NC was $159,300 in 2023, which is 0.525 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $140,500 to $159,300, a 13.4% increase. The homeownership rate in Salem, NC is 74.2%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Salem, NC have an average commute time of 19.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Salem, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$159,300

Median Property Value 2023

±$31,185

$682

Median Property Taxes

±$168

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

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

Rent vs Own

74.2%

Homeownership

2023

66%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 74.2% of the housing units in Salem, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 77.1%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

The following map shows all of the places in Salem, NC colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$66,653

Median Household Income

± $18,958

919

Number of Households

± 199

In 2023, the median household income of the 919 households in Salem, NC grew to $66,653 from the previous year's value of $55,156.

The following chart displays the households in Salem, NC 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 $60k - $75k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Salem, NC is from North Carolina.

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.47

2021 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2022, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.47 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0732% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (75.6%)
Carpooled (23%)
Walked (1.39%)

In 2023, 75.6% of workers in Salem, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (23%) and those who walked to work (1.39%).

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

19.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Salem, NC have a shorter commute time (19.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 0% of the workforce in Salem, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

19.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Salem, NC (401 out of 2.02k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 35 - 44, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Males < 5.

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

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
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

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

Health

91.1% of the population of Salem, NC has health coverage, with 40.1% on employee plans, 17.7% on Medicaid, 17.5% on Medicare, 12.4% on non-group plans, and 3.39% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Burke County, NC see 1586 patients per year on average, which represents a 5.37% decrease from the previous year (1676 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1991 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 320 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Burke County, NC.

1,586 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Burke County, NC

Primary care physicians in Burke County, NC see an average of 1,586 patients per year. This represents a 5.37% decrease from the previous year (1,676 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Burke County, NC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.6% under 18 years, 16.1% between 18 and 34 years, 36.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 26.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

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

Uninsured People

8.89%

Uninsured

40.1%

Employer Coverage

17.7%

Medicaid

17.5%

Medicare

12.4%

Non-Group

3.39%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Salem, NC declined by 14.5% from 10.4% to 8.89%.

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

Keep Exploring

North Carolina

State

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC