Salem, VA

Census Place

2024 Population

25,618

US Senator

Mark Warner

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tim Kaine

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

0.744% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

10.2%

5.64% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$66,725

0.0135% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$258,600

Population & Diversity

Salem, VA is home to a population of 25.6k people, from which 97.1% are citizens.

As of 2024, 4.48% of Salem, VA residents were born outside of the country (1.15k people).

In 2024, there were 9.42 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (20.9k people) in Salem, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.22k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 596 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.1%

2024 Citizenship

97.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.1% of Salem, VA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Salem, VA was 97.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Salem, VA

White (Non-Hispanic)
20.9k ± 140
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
2.22k ± 168
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
596 ± 199

4.79%

Hispanic Population

1.23k people

4.79% of the people in Salem, VA are hispanic (1.23k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Salem, VA 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 Virginia.

Most Common Origin

El Salvador
108,778 ± 8,047 people
India
98,440 ± 7,659 people
Mexico
58,677 ± 5,927 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Virginia was El Salvador, the natal country of 108,778 Virginia residents, followed by India with 98,440 and Mexico with 58,677.

Foreign-Born Population

4.48%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.15k people

4.24%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.08k people

As of 2024, 4.48% of Salem, VA residents (1.15k 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, VA was 4.24%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
377 ± 113
Gulf War (1990s)
253 ± 107
Gulf War (2001-)
239 ± 87

Salem, VA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.49 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Salem, VA employs 12.3k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Salem, VA were Health Care & Social Assistance (2,387 people), Retail Trade (1,601 people), and Educational Services (1,530 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($146,591), Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($99,056), and Health Care & Social Assistance ($61,599).

Employment

Occupations

12.3k

2024 Value

± 843

−1.13%

1 Year decline

± 9.69%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Salem, VA declined at a rate of −1.13%, from 12.4k employees to 12.3k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Salem, VA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,526 people), Sales & Related Occupations (1,376 people), and Management Occupations (1,214 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Salem, VA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Virginia (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

12.3k

2024 Value

± 843

−1.13%

1 Year decline

± 9.69%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Salem, VA declined at a rate of −1.13%, from 12.4k employees to 12.3k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Salem, VA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,387 people), Retail Trade (1,601 people), and Educational Services (1,530 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Salem, VA, though some of these residents may live in Salem, VA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$46,137

Median earning men ± $4,087

$37,940

Median earning women ± $5,212

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($69,091), Manufacturing ($67,813), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($61,466).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Construction ($95,565), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($52,679), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($52,533).

Education

The student population of Salem, VA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 1,076 male students and 1,498 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Salem, VA are White (504 and 71.1%), Black or African American (96 and 13.5%), Asian (42 and 5.92%), and Hispanic or Latino (33 and 4.65%).

The largest universities in Salem, VA by number of degrees awarded are Roanoke College (470 and 64.9%) and American National University (254 and 35.1%).

The most popular majors in Salem, VA are General Business Administration & Management (158 and 21.8%), Paralegal (41 and 5.66%), and General Psychology (39 and 5.39%).

The median tuition cost for private four year colleges is $36,040.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Salem, VA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 83.1%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 9.74%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 2,574 (41.8% men and 58.2% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 2,574 students enrolled in Salem, VA, 41.8% men and 58.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,637 records, of which 59.4% were women and 40.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
82 degrees awarded
General Psychology
39 degrees awarded
General Biological Sciences
30 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Salem, VA was General Business Administration & Management with 82 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Salem, VA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Roanoke College
470 degrees awarded
American National University
254 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Roanoke College with 470 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 269 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Salem, VA, which is 0.591 times less than the 455 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 504 degrees mean that there were 5.25 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 96 degrees awarded.

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.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($36,040) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($2,028) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,000) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Salem, VA was $258,600 in 2024, which is 0.777 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $244,800 to $258,600, a 5.64% increase. The homeownership rate in Salem, VA is 62.8%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Salem, VA have an average commute time of 19 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Salem, VA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$258,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$12,481

$6,441

Median Property Taxes

±$573

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, VA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $2k - $3k range.

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

Rent vs Own

62.8%

Homeownership

2024

69.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 62.8% of the housing units in Salem, VA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 63.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Salem, VA 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.

$66,725

Median Household Income

± $6,350

10.3k

Number of Households

± 741

In 2024, the median household income of the 10.3k households in Salem, VA grew to $66,725 from the previous year's value of $66,716.

The following chart displays the households in Salem, VA 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, VA is from Virginia.

0.47

2024 Wage GINI in Virginia

0.472

2023 Wage GINI in Virginia

In 2024, the income inequality in Virginia was 0.47 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.376% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Virginia in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (76.7%)
Worked At Home (10.8%)
Carpooled (6.93%)

In 2024, 76.7% of workers in Salem, VA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.8%) and those who carpooled to work (6.93%).

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 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Salem, VA have a shorter commute time (19 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.9% of the workforce in Salem, VA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

10.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Salem, VA (2.39k out of 23.3k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 55 - 64.

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

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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