What is the population of Salem city?

Salem city has 4,673 residents on Census ACS 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, ranking #155 of 1,082 in Missouri.

What is the median household income in Salem city?

Median household income in Salem city is $39,200 a year, 50.1% below the national figure of $78,538.

How much does it cost to rent or buy in Salem city?

Median gross rent is $593 a month and the median home value is $97,200, so rent absorbs about 18.2% of median household income.

Is Salem city affordable compared with the rest of the US?

Homes cost about 2.5× the local median income here versus roughly 3.9× nationally, so Salem city is more affordable to buy in than the typical US market, and rent takes 18.2% of median income against the 30% cost-burden line.

Aerial view of a dense city center, illustrating the US cities ZIP code directory

Missouri · Census place 65234

Salem, MO population, income and ZIP codes

Quick answer

The population of the city of Salem, Missouri (Salem, MO — Census place “Salem city”) is 4,673 residents, ranking #155 of 1082 places in Missouri. Median household income is $39,200, the median home is worth $97,200 and median gross rent runs $593 a month. Looking for the Salem Missouri ZIP code list? 1 ZIP codes serve Salem, MO: 65560.

Population: 4,673Salem city residents
Median household income: $39,200Past 12 months, inflation adjusted
Median home value: $97,200Owner-occupied units
Median gross rent: $593Rent plus utilities, monthly
Median age: 42 yrsAll residents
Homeownership rate: 53.4%Owner-occupied households

Salem ZIP codes (Missouri)

Census ZCTAs whose delivery area overlaps Salem.

The Salem MO ZIP code list below covers 1 ZIP code. Open any one for its population, income, housing and rent profile.

65560

What the numbers mean in Salem city

Housing cost measured against local earnings.

A household earning the Salem city median would spend about 18.2% of gross income on the median rent. The 30% mark is the federal threshold for cost burden, so anything above it signals a stretched rental market. The median home costs 2.5× the median household income; nationally that ratio sits near 4.5×. Poverty affects 16.6% of residents and 53.4% of households own their home.

Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates · rates as published for 2019-2023 ACS 5-year

Salem city, MO in context

How this area compares with national benchmarks.

Salem city is a small town in Missouri, with 4,673 residents counted in the Census American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, which places it #155 of 1,082 ranked by population — larger than 85% of them. The median age here is 42 years against 39.1 nationally, a slightly older profile than the country as a whole. At this population the ACS sample is small, so the margin of error around every dollar figure below is wide — treat the numbers as a band, not a point, and expect them to move between annual releases without the place itself changing.

Households in Salem city earn a median of $39,200 a year, 50.1% below the national figure of $78,538 and 29% below the $55,543 median for the 374 Missouri cities we cover. Household income here is measured before tax and pooled across everyone at the address, which is why it reads higher than typical individual earnings in the same area. Poverty reaches 16.6% of residents here, above the 12.4% national rate.

The typical owner-occupied home in Salem city is valued at $97,200, 68% below the national figure and 36% below the $152,400 peer median, while median gross rent runs $593 a month, 57.8% below the national figure, or roughly $7,116 across a full year. A household on the local median income would put about 18.2% of gross pay toward that rent against the federal 30% cost-burden threshold, so renting here is cheap relative to what people here earn. The home-price-to-income ratio works out to 2.5×, against roughly 3.9× nationally, so buying is easier here than in the average US market. 53.4% of occupied homes are owner-occupied versus 65% nationally, so the market leans more heavily on renters. Rent is reported gross — contract rent plus tenant-paid utilities — which is why it runs above the advertised price on a listing for the same unit.

All values below were released by the Census for this exact geography, with no gap-filling on our side. Small-area estimates still carry wider margins of error than state or national figures, so check the linked ACS tables before relying on them for lending, appraisal or legal work.

Compare with nearby places

Places of similar size in Missouri.

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about this area.

What is the population of Salem city?: Salem city has 4,673 residents on Census ACS 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, ranking #155 of 1,082 in Missouri.
What is the median household income in Salem city?: Median household income in Salem city is $39,200 a year, 50.1% below the national figure of $78,538.
How much does it cost to rent or buy in Salem city?: Median gross rent is $593 a month and the median home value is $97,200, so rent absorbs about 18.2% of median household income.
Is Salem city affordable compared with the rest of the US?: Homes cost about 2.5× the local median income here versus roughly 3.9× nationally, so Salem city is more affordable to buy in than the typical US market, and rent takes 18.2% of median income against the 30% cost-burden line.
How current is this Salem city data?: All figures come from the US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year five-year estimates. At this population the ACS sample is small, so the margin of error around every dollar figure below is wide — treat the numbers as a band, not a point, and expect them to move between annual releases without the place itself changing.