Salem, VA

Census place 5170000 · pop 25,618

C64/ 100
😐 Meh
A
in VA
📍 Virginia ranks #14 of 50 states →
🏆 Disaster16/100 · top 1%
🚽 Inequality0.46 · bottom 28%
💡 Did you know?

Salem Football Stadium long hosted the Stagg Bowl, the NCAA Division III national football championship.

Source ↗
Taxes
0.90% property · US 0.99%5.77% sales · US 7.00%up to 5.75% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Income inequality0.4628

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.46 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Population growth (5yr)+1.2%37

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

+1.2% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Median household income$66,72539

U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities

$66,725 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Broadband access91.1%46

U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities

91.1% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Homeownership62.8%47

U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities

62.8% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Adult obesity35.0%50

U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities

35.0% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Poor mental health17.0%52

U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities

17.0% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Adult smoking12.9%53

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

12.9% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Housing cost$258,60055

U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities

$258,600 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Physical inactivity24.1%56

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

24.1% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Property-tax burden0.90%56

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.90% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Bachelor's degree or higher33.0%56

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

33.0% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Poverty rate10.2%56

U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities

10.2% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Rent$1,571/mo64

U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities

$1,571/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Uninsured adults7.6%70

U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities

7.6% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Commute time19 min81

U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities

19 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level0 days85

U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities

0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Unemployment rateCounty-level2.6%91

U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities

2.6% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Air quality (AQI)County-level32 AQI92

U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities

32 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Natural disaster riskCounty-level16/10099

U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities

16/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Not measured for Salem: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.

Frequently asked

Is Salem, VA a good place to live?
By the numbers, Salem scores 64/100 — a C (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is natural disaster risk and its weakest is income inequality. Virginia overall ranks #14 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
Is Salem, VA expensive to live in?
Salem has a median home value of $258,600 and typical rent around $1,571/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Salem, VA?
Its weakest measured area is income inequality (0.46) — 28/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Salem, VA best at?
Its strongest measured area is natural disaster risk (16/100) — 99/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: Salem Football Stadium long hosted the Stagg Bowl, the NCAA Division III national football championship.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.