Salem, Virginia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Salem is located in Virginia with a total population of 25,477. It is the 70th most populous county out of 133 in Virginia.

Age Demographics

The median age in Salem is 40.3 years. This is 4% higher than the state median of 38.8 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Salem is $66,716. This is 27% lower than the state median of $90,974. It is also 15% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 10.9%. This is 9% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.9%. The unemployment rate is 3.4%. This is 20% lower than the state rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $244,800. Housing costs are 32% lower than the state median of $360,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.7x. 63.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 5% lower than the state average of 67.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Salem is White (non-Hispanic), making up 82.4% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 7.7%. The Black or African American population (7.7%) is well below the state average of 18.4%. The Hispanic or Latino population (4.5%) is well below the state average of 10.7%. The Asian population (1.9%) is well below the state average of 6.8%.

Education

31.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 25% lower than the state rate of 41.5%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 94.2%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Salem come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against Virginia and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.