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METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS

Salem Metro

Salem, OR · 2 counties · 278,024 residents · 1,922 sq mi
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The short version

Salem is a metro area of 278,024 people. Median home value sits at $60,659. There are 69,190 fewer people here than in 2000. Households take in $26,772 at the median, 11% less than the US figure. 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 33.8
US median: 33.0
Average education
18% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 39%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
278,024
−20%vs 2000
vs 347,214 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
145 / sq mi
−20%vs 2000
vs 181 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
33.8
−1%vs 2000
vs 34.2 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
1,922 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
262K310K358K407K455K19902000201020202024Salem
2024439K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 57.3%(20,287)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 97.9%(21,869)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.2%(19,942)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197%(19,367)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 246.9%(19,112)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3415.7%(43,743)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4415.5%(43,107)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 5410.1%(28,138)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 648%(22,177)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 747.9%(22,057)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 844.9%(13,656)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.6%(4,569)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$26,772
−13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $40,673 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$12,260
−34%vs 2000
vs $18,565 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
13.2%
+0.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 13.1% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$60,659
−39%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $131,305 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$394
−9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $572 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
63.5%
−0.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 63.9% in 2000
36.5% rent
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%
1990
White, non-Hispanic91.8%(255,295)
Black0.8%(2,210)
Hispanic / Latino7.3%(20,181)
Asian1.7%(4,702)
Other5.7%(15,817)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

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)
Nicaraguan0%(130)
Argentine0%(43)
Bolivian0%(18)
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)
+ 4 more asian origin groups with data
Mien0%(22)
Hmong0%(16)
Uzbek0%(9)
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)
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)
Lebanese0%(185)
Somali0.1%(183)
Nigerian0%(182)
Ethiopian0%(177)
Serbian0%(146)
Australian0%(125)
Armenian0%(116)
Turkish0%(112)
Syrian0%(106)
Bulgarian0%(88)
Latvian0%(74)
Israeli0%(63)
Jamaican0%(46)
Jordanian0%(30)
Iraqi0%(28)
Egyptian0%(20)
Slovene0%(18)
Haitian0%(17)
Kenyan0%(15)
Ghanaian0%(14)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
18.2%
−2.6 ptsvs 2000
vs 20.8% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
78.9%
−1.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 80.4% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
6.3%
−0.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 7.2% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.6 min
+28%vs 2000
vs 16.1 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
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

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
7.8%
−9.3 ptssince 2013
from 17.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
51.3%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 52.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
12.5%
−1.1 ptssince 2020
from 13.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
18.6%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 17.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
27.5%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 26.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
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)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22%(5,663)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era33.2%(8,547)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.6%(1,446)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.7%(191)
US avg: 1%

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

Marion CountyCENTRAL355,777Polk CountyCENTRAL90,037
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Salem

Reading
Pop 440,072
Savannah
Pop 438,314
Wilmington
Pop 492,772
York
Pop 473,197
Places similar to Salem
Head to head

Compare Salem side by side

SALEM VS
Reading
Income$79,777+198%
Home value$257,300+324%
Population440,072−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SALEM VS
Savannah
Income$77,692+190%
Home value$302,959+399%
Population438,314−2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SALEM VS
Wilmington
Income$76,547+186%
Home value$362,172+497%
Population492,772+11%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SALEM VS
York
Income$84,829+217%
Home value$248,600+310%
Population473,197+6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Salem, OR?

Salem, OR has about 278,024 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Salem, OR?

The typical household in Salem, OR earns about $26,772 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 $60,659, and the typical rent is about $394 a month.

How educated are people in Salem, OR?

About 18.2% 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 13.2% of people in Salem, OR live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →