United States › Illinois › Salem CITY
Salem Illinois · 7,035 residents (2025 est.) · 6.99 sq mi
Time machine
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The short version
Salem is home to 7,236 people in Illinois. 16% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $106,100. 0% of locals were born outside the United States. Getting to work takes 14 minutes on average. That trails the Illinois median by roughly 28%.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.1
US median: 38.9
Less educated
16% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 7,909 in 2000
7,035 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1,035 / sq mi
−2%since 2009
from 1,052 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 39.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
7K 7K 7K 8K 8K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Salem Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $59,728
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $34,339 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $16,954 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 13.5% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 9.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.429 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 8.6%
Public administration 3.1%
Transportation & warehousing 1.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 1.4%
Education & health services 0.3%
Arts, entertainment, food 0%
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$106,100
+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $57,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$774
+16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $367 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 69.7% in 2000
35.0% rent
from 7.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.29 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 18.6% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 36.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.0 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 96.6%(7,638)
Hispanic / Latino 0.7%(57)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 91.3%(6,610)
Hispanic / Latino 0.5%(37)
from 13 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 9 more ancestry groups with data from 13.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 77.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 3.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 12.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 71.9% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 15.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 4.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 1.3% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 10.3% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 8.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 59.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 75.7% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 15.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 29.2% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 2.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 10.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 16.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 7.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 77.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 89.5% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 83.6% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 97.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 0.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 39.4%(1,060)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 7.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 49.4% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 11.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 21.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 30.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 3.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 57.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 48.5% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 43.4%(167)
Gulf War (1990s) 14.3%(55)
Share of the 385 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Salem, Illinois? Salem, Illinois has about 7,236 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Salem, Illinois? The typical household in Salem, Illinois earns about $59,728 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Salem, Illinois expensive? In Salem, Illinois, the median home is worth about $106,100, and the typical rent is about $774 a month.
How educated are people in Salem, Illinois? About 15.6% of adults age 25 and over in Salem, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Salem, Illinois? About 16.3% of people in Salem, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.
Has Salem, Illinois grown since 1990? Yes, Salem, Illinois has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 234 residents, a change of about -3 percent over that period.
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