City safety & data profile

SalemMA

Salem, MA is a 43K-resident city in Essex County with a median household income of $85,153.

Essex County, Massachusetts. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Salem, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Salem has a population larger than 75% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $542,800, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-19

43K
Population
Top 25%
By size
$85,153
Median income
$542,800
Median home
12.1%
Poverty rate

The read on Salem

Salem posts a median household income higher than 55% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Salem area.

Top 45%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Salem

Where Salem income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$85,153 Top 45% higher than 55% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. MA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Salem, MA beyond the headline numbers

Salem sits inside Essex County, Massachusetts, at roughly 42.52°N, -70.90°W. Population 42,869, $85,153 median household income. Median home value $542,800, median rent $1,836. Poverty rate 12.1%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Salem's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 35.6%, then obesity at 29.7%. 1 hospital in/around Salem, 5/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Salem from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
42,869
Salem
Median Income
$85,153
+25% vs avg
Median Home Value
$542,800
+138% vs avg
Median Age
39.3
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Essex County) - Salem's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
813K+8%
Median Income
$101,883+51%
Median Home Value
$619,100+77%
Poverty Rate
9.4%-16%
Unemployment
5.1%-41%

Economics

Economics indicators for Salem, MA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,836/mo
Poverty Rate
12.1% -15% vs avg
Unemployment 5.1%
Bachelor's Degree+ 47.8%
Work From Home 21.6%
Public Transit 5.3%

Population

White 72.8%
African American 4.9%
Asian 3.4%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
35.6%
Obesity
29.7%
High Blood Pressure
29.4%
Physical Inactivity
22.4%
Binge Drinking
16.7%
Frequent Mental Distress
16.4%
Frequent Physical Distress
12.4%
Current Asthma
12%
Current Smoking
11%
Diabetes
9.2%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 71.7%
Annual Checkup 80.2%

Other Measures

Coronary Heart Disease
5.5%
Lack of Health Insurance
5.5%
Stroke
2.8%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
1
★★★★
0
★★★
0
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
5/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
NORTH SHORE MEDICAL CENTER -
SALEM · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★★

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Salem, MA? ▼
Salem, MA has a population of 42,869 people, located in Essex County, Massachusetts.
What is the median household income in Salem? ▼
The median household income in Salem, MA is $85,153 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 12.1%.
What is the median home value in Salem? ▼
The median home value in Salem, MA is $542,800. Median rent is $1,836/month.
What are the top health concerns in Salem? ▼
The top health indicators in Salem include Short Sleep Duration (35.6%), Obesity (29.7%), High Blood Pressure (29.4%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Salem? ▼
Salem has 1 hospital with an average rating of 5/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Salem? ▼
The median age in Salem, MA is 39.3 years. 47.8% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Salem, MA is located in Essex County, Massachusetts. With a population of 43K and a $85,153 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and obesity. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 5/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Salem area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Massachusetts

Real-time AQI for every monitored Massachusetts location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Peabody, MA 53K Beverly, MA 41K Marblehead, MA 20K Swampscott, MA 14K Beverly Cove, MA 40K South Peabody, MA 50K Danvers, MA 26K Lynn, MA 92K
All cities in Massachusetts → Compare Salem vs Peabody → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Salem's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Salem area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Salem against Massachusetts peers on any ranking lens. Explore Massachusetts

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Essex County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.