METRO AREA · 2020 ACS
Salem Metro
Salem, OR · 2 counties · 433,353 residents · 1,922 sq mi
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The short version
Salem is a metro area of 433,353 people. The population is up 25% since 2000. 25% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Median household income is $62,593, close to the national figure. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $274,295.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 37.4
US median: 38.8
Less educated
25% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 39%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth
Land area
1,922 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024439K
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.9%(25,761)
5 to 96.6%(28,548)
10 to 147.1%(30,796)
15 to 197.1%(30,947)
20 to 246.8%(29,451)
25 to 3413.2%(57,085)
35 to 4412.7%(55,096)
45 to 5411.3%(49,121)
55 to 6411.9%(51,405)
65 to 7410.3%(44,715)
75 to 845.1%(22,125)
85 and over1.9%(8,303)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$62,593
+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,673 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
40.8%
+13.8 ptssince 2009
from 27.0% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information12.2%
Retail trade9.7%
Wholesale trade8.6%
Other services5.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing5%
Construction4.9%
Finance & insurance3.7%
Public administration3.3%
Professional, scientific, technical3.3%
Transportation & warehousing2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.1%
Education & health services0.4%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$274,295
+39%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $131,305 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
4.4
+3%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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic64.2%(278,369)
Black1%(4,469)
Hispanic / Latino25%(108,470)
Asian2.1%(8,972)
Other5.7%(24,721)
34
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
Mexican21.4%(92,106)
Central American0.9%(4,035)
Puerto Rican0.5%(2,006)
Salvadoran0.4%(1,824)
Guatemalan0.3%(1,363)
South American0.2%(891)
Spaniard0.2%(669)
Cuban0.1%(528)
Colombian0.1%(341)
Honduran0.1%(335)
Chilean0.1%(236)
Panamanian0.1%(216)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Nicaraguan0%(181)
Costa Rican0%(116)
Peruvian0%(106)
Ecuadorian0%(91)
Argentine0%(65)
Dominican0%(32)
Bolivian0%(22)
Venezuelan0%(17)
Paraguayan0%(13)
Asian origin
Chinese0.4%(1,654)
Filipino0.3%(1,489)
Asian Indian0.3%(1,313)
Vietnamese0.2%(1,046)
Japanese0.2%(785)
Korean0.1%(612)
Hmong0.1%(473)
Cambodian0.1%(244)
Thai0%(170)
Bangladeshi0%(155)
Laotian0%(123)
Burmese0%(113)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Indonesian0%(85)
Taiwanese0%(42)
Pacific Islander origin
Marshallese0.4%(1,658)
Native Hawaiian0.3%(1,464)
Chamorro0.1%(306)
Samoan0.1%(257)
Fijian0%(21)
Ancestry
German17%(72,776)
English9.7%(41,624)
Irish9.1%(39,128)
American4%(17,191)
Norwegian3.2%(13,854)
French2.7%(11,757)
Italian2.7%(11,541)
Scottish2.3%(9,701)
Swedish2%(8,695)
Dutch1.8%(7,832)
Russian1.6%(6,746)
Polish1.3%(5,761)
+ 44 more ancestry groups with data
Scotch-Irish0.9%(3,811)
Welsh0.9%(3,739)
Danish0.8%(3,624)
Swiss0.8%(3,349)
British0.7%(3,111)
French Canadian0.6%(2,518)
Ukrainian0.5%(1,961)
Subsaharan African0.4%(1,811)
Portuguese0.4%(1,807)
Hungarian0.4%(1,724)
Canadian0.3%(1,342)
Finnish0.3%(1,268)
Czech0.3%(1,254)
Austrian0.2%(853)
Greek0.2%(843)
Romanian0.2%(694)
Belgian0.1%(463)
West Indian0.1%(453)
Lithuanian0.1%(378)
Slovak0.1%(375)
Croatian0.1%(339)
Arab0.1%(237)
Somali0.1%(189)
Brazilian0%(169)
Slovene0%(166)
Lebanese0%(161)
Iranian0%(151)
Latvian0%(132)
Australian0%(125)
Jamaican0%(124)
Iraqi0%(113)
Armenian0%(86)
Ethiopian0%(84)
Syrian0%(74)
Serbian0%(74)
Palestinian0%(73)
Moroccan0%(71)
Egyptian0%(39)
Haitian0%(37)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(37)
Turkish0%(30)
Jordanian0%(22)
Bulgarian0%(22)
Israeli0%(7)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
86.5%
+6.1 ptssince 2000
from 80.4% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
72.8%
US average: 73.3%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
94.3%
US average: 91.9%
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
Direct-purchase
13.6%
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
2.6%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
64.3%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
42.0%
US average: 35.2%
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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)17.1%(4,343)
Gulf War (1990s)18.4%(4,681)
Vietnam era36.8%(9,359)
Korean War8.4%(2,147)
World War II2.8%(703)
Share of the 25,445 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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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
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SALEM VS
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SALEM VS
Wilmington
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SALEM VS
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Income$84,829+36%
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Salem, OR?
Salem, OR has about 433,353 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Salem, OR?
The typical household in Salem, OR earns about $62,593 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 $274,295, and the typical rent is about $1,045 a month.
How educated are people in Salem, OR?
About 25.4% 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 13.1% 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 155,329 residents, a change of about 56 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024