METRO AREA
Salem Metro
Salem, OR · 2 counties · 445,814 residents (2025 est.) · 1,922 sq mi
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The short version
Salem is a metro area of 438,906 people. That puts it in the top 4% of US metro areas for household income. The population is up 26% since 2000. 27% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $424,224. Median household income is $78,938, close to the national figure.
At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 37.6
US median: 38.9
Less educated
27% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 77%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
438,906
+26%since 2000
from 347,214 in 2000
445,814 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
1,922 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024439K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.7%(25,130)
5 to 96.5%(28,403)
10 to 146.7%(29,341)
15 to 197.1%(31,321)
20 to 246.9%(30,440)
25 to 3413.8%(60,540)
35 to 4413.1%(57,510)
45 to 5411.6%(50,788)
55 to 6411.4%(49,993)
65 to 7410.2%(44,672)
75 to 845%(21,810)
85 and over2%(8,958)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$78,938
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,673 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
52.2%
+25.2 ptssince 2009
from 27.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.6%
Retail trade9.3%
Wholesale trade8.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing5%
Construction4.9%
Other services4.8%
Finance & insurance3.7%
Public administration3.2%
Professional, scientific, technical3.1%
Transportation & warehousing2.1%
Arts, entertainment, food1%
Education & health services0.6%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$424,224
+77%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $131,305 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
5.4
+26%since 2009
from 4.3 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
71
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic78.1%(271,274)
Black0.7%(2,503)
Hispanic / Latino15.6%(54,194)
Asian1.6%(5,576)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic63.4%(278,184)
Black1.1%(4,675)
Hispanic / Latino26.2%(115,154)
Asian1.9%(8,548)
Other7.4%(32,345)
65
+25%since 2009
from 52 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
30
−14%since 2020
from 34 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican22.9%(100,418)
Central American1.2%(5,166)
Guatemalan0.6%(2,576)
Salvadoran0.4%(1,665)
Spaniard0.4%(1,587)
South American0.4%(1,572)
Puerto Rican0.3%(1,483)
Cuban0.2%(715)
Colombian0.1%(616)
Peruvian0.1%(554)
Honduran0.1%(398)
Panamanian0.1%(261)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Dominican0.1%(258)
Venezuelan0%(166)
Chilean0%(149)
Costa Rican0%(136)
Nicaraguan0%(130)
Argentine0%(43)
Bolivian0%(18)
Ecuadorian0%(16)
Uruguayan0%(10)
Asian origin
Chinese0.5%(2,101)
Filipino0.4%(1,601)
Asian Indian0.3%(1,312)
Vietnamese0.2%(995)
Korean0.2%(796)
Japanese0.1%(647)
Nepalese0%(201)
Cambodian0.1%(187)
Thai0%(138)
Laotian0%(93)
Kazakh0%(38)
Sri Lankan0%(25)
+ 4 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.3%(1,171)
Marshallese0.3%(1,105)
Chamorro0.1%(454)
Samoan0.1%(325)
Chuukese0.1%(285)
Tongan0%(96)
Guamanian0%(36)
Fijian0%(23)
Ancestry
German16.5%(72,323)
English12.4%(54,335)
Irish8.9%(39,082)
American3.6%(15,883)
Norwegian2.9%(12,592)
Scottish2.7%(12,003)
Italian2.7%(11,765)
French2.3%(10,172)
Swedish1.7%(7,599)
Dutch1.5%(6,400)
Polish1.4%(6,123)
Russian1%(4,594)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
Scotch-Irish0.9%(3,805)
Danish0.7%(3,110)
Swiss0.6%(2,724)
Welsh0.5%(2,238)
Ukrainian0.5%(2,083)
British0.5%(2,053)
French Canadian0.4%(1,956)
Subsaharan African0.4%(1,832)
Portuguese0.4%(1,677)
Czech0.3%(1,201)
Greek0.3%(1,201)
Canadian0.2%(1,065)
Austrian0.2%(1,040)
Finnish0.2%(915)
Hungarian0.2%(676)
Romanian0.1%(607)
Arab0.1%(546)
Lithuanian0.1%(521)
Belgian0.1%(437)
Slovak0.1%(255)
Croatian0.1%(250)
Iranian0.1%(233)
Brazilian0%(211)
West Indian0%(201)
Lebanese0%(185)
Somali0.1%(183)
Nigerian0%(182)
Ethiopian0%(177)
Serbian0%(146)
Australian0%(125)
Armenian0%(116)
Turkish0%(112)
Syrian0%(106)
Bulgarian0%(88)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(76)
Latvian0%(74)
Palestinian0%(63)
Israeli0%(63)
Jamaican0%(46)
Jordanian0%(30)
Iraqi0%(28)
Egyptian0%(20)
Slovene0%(18)
Haitian0%(17)
Kenyan0%(15)
Ghanaian0%(14)
Macedonian0%(10)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
87.2%
+6.8 ptssince 2000
from 80.4% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
74.2%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 72.8% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
96.1%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 94.3% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married36.8%(65,154)
Married50.4%(89,356)
Widowed2.9%(5,121)
Divorced9.9%(17,490)
Women 15+
Never married29.8%(53,231)
Married48.1%(86,106)
Widowed8.1%(14,425)
Divorced14.1%(25,149)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
12.5%
−1.1 ptssince 2020
from 13.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
2.3%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
62.6%
−1.7 ptssince 2020
from 64.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
43.6%
+1.6 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)23.2%(5,977)
Gulf War (1990s)22%(5,663)
Vietnam era33.2%(8,547)
Korean War5.6%(1,446)
World War II0.7%(191)
Share of the 25,719 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
In this metro
Largest cities
SalemCENTRAL181,779Keizer39,140Woodburn31,948Hayesville21,246Dallas17,890Four Corners16,275Monmouth11,543Silverton10,450Independence10,195Stayton8,488Aumsville4,241Mount Angel3,454Hubbard3,399Jefferson3,299Sublimity2,882Gervais2,572Turner2,412Willamina2,276Grand Ronde1,549Aurora1,113Falls City1,042Donald1,008Brooks664St. Paul429Mehama425Scotts Mills414Labish238Butteville226Detroit190Marion154
The 30 most populous of 33 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.
What's inside
2 component counties
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Salem
Head to head
Compare Salem side by side
SALEM VS
Reading
Income$79,777+1%
Home value$257,300−39%
Population440,072−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SALEM VS
Savannah
Income$77,692−2%
Home value$302,959−29%
Population438,314−2%
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SALEM VS
Wilmington
Income$76,547−3%
Home value$362,172−15%
Population492,772+11%
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SALEM VS
York
Income$84,829+7%
Home value$248,600−41%
Population473,197+6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Salem, OR?
Salem, OR has about 438,906 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Salem, OR?
The typical household in Salem, OR earns about $78,938 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Salem, OR expensive?
In Salem, OR, the median home is worth about $424,224, and the typical rent is about $1,391 a month.
How educated are people in Salem, OR?
About 27.1% of adults age 25 and over in Salem, OR hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Salem, OR?
About 13.0% of people in Salem, OR live below the federal poverty line.
Has Salem, OR grown since 1990?
Yes, Salem, OR has grown since 1990. The population has added about 160,882 residents, a change of about 58 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024