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METRO AREA · 2010 ACS

Salem Metro

Salem, OR · 2 counties · 390,738 residents · 1,922 sq mi
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The short version

Salem is a metro area of 390,738 people. 22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The population is up 13% since 2000. Households take in $47,016 at the median, 11% less than the US figure. Home values have risen by half since 2000, reaching $209,500.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Younger
median age 35.5
US median: 37.2
Less educated
22% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Less affordable
home values up 26%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
390,738
+13%since 2000
from 347,214 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
203 / sq mi
+13%since 2000
from 181 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
35.5
+4%since 2000
from 34.2 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
1,922 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
262K310K358K407K455K19902000201020202024Salem
2024439K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 57.3%(28,467)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 97.1%(27,858)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 147.2%(28,187)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 197.6%(29,571)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 247%(27,317)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3413.3%(51,789)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4412.3%(48,226)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5413%(50,928)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6412%(46,694)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 747%(27,259)
US avg: 7%
75 to 844.2%(16,584)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over2%(7,858)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$47,016
−9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,673 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$22,384
+21%since 2000
from $18,565 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
27.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 27.0% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
15.4%
+2.2 ptssince 2000
from 13.1% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.420
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Information11.5%
US avg: 11.5%
Retail trade10.7%
US avg: 10.9%
Wholesale trade7.9%
US avg: 7.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing5.9%
US avg: 1.9%
Other services5.8%
US avg: 7%
Construction5.7%
US avg: 1.4%
Public administration3.9%
US avg: 4.9%
Finance & insurance3.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Professional, scientific, technical3%
US avg: 4.2%
Transportation & warehousing2.9%
US avg: 3.1%
Arts, entertainment, food1.6%
US avg: 2.4%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$209,500
+26%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $131,305 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$731
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $572 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
62.0%
−1.9 ptssince 2000
from 63.9% in 2000
38.0% rent
Vacancy rate
5.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 6.0% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.63 people
−2%since 2009
from 2.70 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
33.8%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 32.9% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
48.1%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 47.8% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
4.5
+5%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.
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%
2010
White, non-Hispanic71%(277,460)
Black0.8%(3,300)
Hispanic / Latino21.9%(85,682)
Asian1.8%(7,193)
Other4.4%(17,298)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican19.1%(73,438)
Central American0.5%(1,810)
Puerto Rican0.3%(1,022)
Salvadoran0.3%(976)
Spaniard0.2%(876)
Guatemalan0.1%(446)
Cuban0.1%(253)
Peruvian0.1%(209)
Argentine0.1%(193)
Colombian0%(161)
Dominican0%(143)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ancestry
German22.2%(85,130)
English12.3%(47,296)
Irish10.9%(41,673)
American5%(19,332)
Norwegian3.9%(15,077)
French3.7%(14,248)
Scottish3.2%(12,099)
Italian2.8%(10,647)
Swedish2.6%(10,083)
Dutch2.3%(8,957)
Scotch-Irish2.2%(8,438)
Russian1.8%(6,835)
+ 43 more ancestry groups with data
Polish1.4%(5,248)
Swiss1.1%(4,098)
Danish1%(3,842)
Welsh0.9%(3,593)
French Canadian0.7%(2,617)
Ukrainian0.5%(1,939)
British0.5%(1,855)
Czech0.5%(1,826)
Portuguese0.4%(1,568)
Greek0.4%(1,383)
Finnish0.4%(1,346)
Canadian0.3%(1,318)
Hungarian0.2%(898)
Austrian0.2%(804)
Romanian0.2%(597)
Belgian0.1%(514)
Arab0.1%(336)
West Indian0.1%(322)
Iranian0.1%(308)
Australian0.1%(253)
Armenian0.1%(252)
Lithuanian0.1%(235)
Serbian0.1%(212)
Slovak0.1%(192)
Turkish0.1%(170)
Croatian0%(152)
Bulgarian0%(133)
Lebanese0%(125)
Ethiopian0%(110)
Haitian0%(103)
Brazilian0%(96)
Latvian0%(91)
Moroccan0%(63)
Slovene0%(61)
Israeli0%(52)
Syrian0%(51)
Jamaican0%(27)
Somali0%(26)
Ghanaian0%(24)
Egyptian0%(11)
Jordanian0%(11)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
22.3%
+1.5 ptssince 2000
from 20.8% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
83.5%
+3.1 ptssince 2000
from 80.4% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
7.8%
+0.6 ptssince 2000
from 7.2% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.9 min
+42%since 2000
from 16.1 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
72.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 73.0% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
14.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 15.2% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
1.8%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
5.2%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 5.0% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
3.3%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 3.1% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
1.0%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
6.6%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 6.1% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
17.5%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 16.6% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
31.1%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 30.3% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.7%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 50.2% in 2009
Female
50.3%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 49.8% in 2009
Foreign born
12.8%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 12.8% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
11.7%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 11.9% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
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+70%
Home value$257,300+23%
Population440,072−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SALEM VS
Savannah
Income$77,692+65%
Home value$302,959+45%
Population438,314−2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SALEM VS
Wilmington
Income$76,547+63%
Home value$362,172+73%
Population492,772+11%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SALEM VS
York
Income$84,829+80%
Home value$248,600+19%
Population473,197+6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Salem, OR?

Salem, OR has about 390,738 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Salem, OR?

The typical household in Salem, OR earns about $47,016 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 $209,500, and the typical rent is about $731 a month.

How educated are people in Salem, OR?

About 22.3% 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 15.4% 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 112,714 residents, a change of about 41 percent over that period.

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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 →