CITY
Salem
Oregon · 181,779 residents (2025 est.) · 48.9 sq mi
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Part of the Salem metro area
Notable rankings
#147Largest by populationof 4,896181,779The short version
Salem is a city of 178,865 people in Oregon. Growth has run 31% since 2000, or 41,941 more people. There are 3,655 people per square mile. 56% of homes are owner-occupied. 31% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $416,900.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $75,487, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 36.0
US median: 38.9
Average education
31% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 81%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Salem
What changed most since 1990
- Median home value (2024 dollars)$144,484 → $416,900 (+189%)US over the same years: +67%
- White share88.8% → 61.3% (−27.5 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
- Hispanic share5.8% → 25.4% (+19.6 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Among the 32 cities and towns in the Salem metro
- 15th in household income$75,487
- 5th in share with a bachelor's degree31.5%
- 12th in home value$416,900
- 4th in diversity score69.0
Section 01
Population & growth
178,865
+31%since 2000
from 136,924 in 2000
181,779 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
48.9 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024179K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.8%(10,366)
5 to 96.6%(11,783)
10 to 146.3%(11,292)
15 to 197.1%(12,750)
20 to 246.8%(12,178)
25 to 3416%(28,638)
35 to 4413.9%(24,781)
45 to 5411.3%(20,286)
55 to 6410.4%(18,610)
65 to 749.1%(16,240)
75 to 844.8%(8,561)
85 and over1.9%(3,380)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$75,487
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $38,881 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
50.3%
+25.8 ptssince 2009
from 24.5% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11%
Retail trade7.9%
Wholesale trade6.9%
Other services5.6%
Finance & insurance3.5%
Public administration3.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing3.4%
Construction3.4%
Professional, scientific, technical3%
Transportation & warehousing1.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1%
Education & health services0.5%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$416,900
+81%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $126,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
5.5
+27%since 2009
from 4.3 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
70
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic77.7%(106,331)
Black1.2%(1,621)
Hispanic / Latino14.6%(19,973)
Asian2.4%(3,268)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic61.3%(109,605)
Black1.6%(2,781)
Hispanic / Latino25.4%(45,440)
Asian3.6%(6,377)
Other8.2%(14,662)
69
+30%since 2009
from 53 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican22.3%(39,942)
Central American1.1%(1,983)
Salvadoran0.5%(877)
Puerto Rican0.4%(769)
Guatemalan0.4%(694)
Spaniard0.4%(627)
South American0.2%(443)
Honduran0.2%(286)
Colombian0.1%(217)
Cuban0.1%(189)
Dominican0.1%(147)
Venezuelan0%(78)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Panamanian0%(68)
Peruvian0%(65)
Costa Rican0%(37)
Chilean0%(28)
Nicaraguan0%(21)
Bolivian0%(18)
Ecuadorian0%(16)
Argentine0%(11)
Uruguayan0%(10)
Asian origin
Chinese0.8%(1,462)
Filipino0.7%(1,168)
Asian Indian0.6%(1,053)
Vietnamese0.5%(891)
Korean0.3%(506)
Japanese0.2%(439)
Cambodian0.1%(177)
Nepalese0.1%(153)
Thai0%(55)
Laotian0%(36)
Kazakh0%(30)
Sri Lankan0%(25)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Marshallese0.5%(943)
Native Hawaiian0.3%(524)
Samoan0.2%(310)
Chuukese0.1%(212)
Chamorro0.1%(193)
Guamanian0%(32)
Ancestry
German15.6%(27,845)
English12.6%(22,595)
Irish8.2%(14,591)
American3.6%(6,499)
Italian2.7%(4,883)
Norwegian2.7%(4,775)
Scottish2.7%(4,763)
French2.5%(4,471)
Swedish1.8%(3,224)
Dutch1.6%(2,776)
Polish1.4%(2,444)
Scotch-Irish0.9%(1,526)
+ 43 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.8%(1,490)
Danish0.8%(1,432)
Welsh0.7%(1,304)
Ukrainian0.6%(1,115)
Subsaharan African0.6%(1,027)
British0.5%(971)
Portuguese0.5%(855)
French Canadian0.4%(768)
Swiss0.4%(669)
Austrian0.3%(605)
Canadian0.2%(397)
Finnish0.2%(390)
Romanian0.2%(387)
Greek0.2%(352)
Hungarian0.2%(352)
Czech0.2%(327)
Belgian0.1%(266)
Lithuanian0.1%(236)
Arab0.1%(230)
Ethiopian0.1%(158)
Brazilian0.1%(112)
Slovak0.1%(111)
Iranian0.1%(92)
Turkish0%(86)
West Indian0%(83)
Syrian0%(82)
Serbian0%(74)
Bulgarian0%(61)
Nigerian0%(61)
Palestinian0%(54)
Croatian0%(45)
Israeli0%(45)
Lebanese0%(44)
Latvian0%(44)
Australian0%(42)
Jamaican0%(38)
Armenian0%(27)
Somali0%(21)
Kenyan0%(15)
Haitian0%(15)
Ghanaian0%(14)
Egyptian0%(11)
Macedonian0%(10)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
88.3%
+6.7 ptssince 2000
from 81.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
74.8%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 73.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
96.3%
+2.0 ptssince 2020
from 94.3% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married41.2%(29,991)
Married45.7%(33,231)
Widowed2.6%(1,918)
Divorced10.5%(7,655)
Women 15+
Never married31.7%(23,048)
Married43.9%(31,901)
Widowed8.3%(5,998)
Divorced16.1%(11,682)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
11.8%
−2.2 ptssince 2020
from 14.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
1.8%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 2.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
62.5%
−2.0 ptssince 2020
from 64.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
43.3%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 42.0% 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)25%(2,189)
Gulf War (1990s)23%(2,016)
Vietnam era30%(2,627)
Korean War4.3%(375)
World War II1%(86)
Share of the 8,759 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.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Salem, decade by decade
| Year | Population | Median household income | Median home value | Bachelor's degree+ | Diversity score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 107,786 | $60,568 | $144,484 | 21.7% | 25.9 |
| 2000 | 136,924 | $70,828 | $230,075 | 24.1% | 46.7 |
| 2010 | 154,637 | $62,966 | $284,118 | 25.2% | 56.9 |
| 2020 | 175,535 | $71,178 | $322,645 | 29.6% | 67.0 |
| 2024 | 178,865 | $75,487 | $416,900 | 31.5% | 69.0 |
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
Explore
Neighborhoods in Salem
Drill deeper
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Compare Salem to nearby cities
SALEM VS
Four Corners
Income$69,669−8%
Home value$340,200−18%
Population16,275−91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SALEM VS
Hayesville
Income$58,624−22%
Home value$365,400−12%
Population21,246−88%
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SALEM VS
Keizer
Income$84,813+12%
Home value$434,100+4%
Population39,140−78%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SALEM VS
Independence
Income$85,375+13%
Home value$378,800−9%
Population10,195−94%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Salem, Oregon?
Salem, Oregon has about 178,865 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Salem, Oregon?
The typical household in Salem, Oregon earns about $75,487 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Salem, Oregon expensive?
In Salem, Oregon, the median home is worth about $416,900, and the typical rent is about $1,400 a month.
How educated are people in Salem, Oregon?
About 31.5% of adults age 25 and over in Salem, Oregon hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Salem, Oregon?
About 14.4% of people in Salem, Oregon live below the federal poverty line.
Has Salem, Oregon grown since 1990?
Yes, Salem, Oregon has grown since 1990. The population has added about 71,079 residents, a change of about 66 percent over that period.
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OregonDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024