Housing data for Salem, KY
Salem, KY has an estimated 780 residents and 306 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Livingston County.
16.4% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $678 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 780 (±201)
- Housing units
- 306 (±71)
- Households that rent
- 16.4%
- Median gross rent
- $678
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +10.8%
What stands out in Salem
Median gross rent: $678 (±$194) in Salem, lower than in Livingston County ($926).
Housing in Salem at a glance
- Median rent: $678 median gross rent a month (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent by bedrooms: $425 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent burden: 47.3% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 16.4% of households rent (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Income and affordability: $61,667 median household income
- Home values: $102,400 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,217 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $600 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 2.6% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 79.1% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 63.4% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 8.9% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 55.6% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 33.4 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +10.8% residents since 2015–2019 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- How long people stay: 14.2% moved in since 2020 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Crowding and facilities: 1.1% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Salem against Livingston County, its state and the nation
| Salem | Livingston County | Kentucky | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 780 (±201) | 8,903 (exact) | 4,534,824 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 306 (±71) | 4,640 (±48) | 2,023,116 (±474) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 16.4% (±8.3 points) | 18.8% (±4.5 points) | 31.7% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $678 (±$194) | $926 (±$91) | $967 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $61,667 (±$24,719) | $58,984 (±$9,074) | $63,726 (±$429) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $102,400 (±$20,492) | $125,600 (±$23,731) | $205,600 (±$1,096) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $600 (±$179) | $770 (±$106) | $1,544 (±$10) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 63.4% (±14.3 points) | 56.2% (±5.9 points) | 47.1% (±0.4 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 33.4 minutes (±4.3) | 29.2 minutes (±3.3) | 24.0 minutes (±0.2) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 88.1% (±5.9 points) | 83.3% (±4.1 points) | 88.6% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 45.3 years (±6.9) | 45.6 years (±0.5) | 39.1 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Salem covers 0.9 square miles of land, about 915 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Salem has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 704 (±162) | 780 (±201) | +10.8% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 360 (±58) | 306 (±71) | −15.0% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $558 (±$41) | $678 (±$194) | +21.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $78,100 (±$10,016) | $102,400 (±$20,492) | +31.1% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $37,206 (±$6,413) | $61,667 (±$24,719) | +65.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $833 (±$150) | $1,217 (±$280) | +46.1% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $426 (±$88) | $600 (±$179) | +40.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 26.2% (±8.4 points) | 16.4% (±8.3 points) | −9.8 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% (±29.5 points) | 8.9% (±14.1 points) | +8.9 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Livingston County
Salem has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Livingston County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Livingston County recorded 80 violent and 387 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
Places near Salem
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion | 9.9 mi | $688 | $97,300 | 28.7% |
| Fredonia | 11 mi | $950 | $108,500 | 10.1% |
| Carrsville | 12 mi | — | — | 8.3% |
| Smithland | 13 mi | $1,107 | $98,000 | 32.1% |
| Rosiclare | 13 mi | $440 | $60,900 | 39.7% |
| Elizabethtown | 13 mi | $241 | $125,000 | 50.0% |
| Cave-In-Rock | 15 mi | $490 | $40,000 | 44.1% |
| Golconda | 15 mi | $393 | $69,300 | 37.7% |
Places in Kentucky most like Salem
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wingo | $648 | $117,200 | $50,000 | 31.0% |
| Loretto | $797 | $183,100 | $61,250 | 10.4% |
| Camargo | $854 | $151,400 | $47,625 | 24.0% |
| Island | $929 | $75,000 | $54,375 | 23.7% |
| Clay | $772 | $74,400 | $61,250 | 33.7% |
| Bremen | $624 | $129,700 | $68,125 | 20.7% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Kentucky.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Salem, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $850 | $937 | $1,220 | $1,454 | $1,723 |
HUD income limits for Salem, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $17,100 | $28,500 | $45,600 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $32,600 | $52,100 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $36,650 | $58,600 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $40,700 | $65,100 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $44,000 | $70,350 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $47,250 | $75,550 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $50,500 | $80,750 |
| 8 people | $53,750 | $53,750 | $85,950 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Livingston County, KY HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $81,400.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
What you can do on Seayora in Salem
One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.
Own or manage a rental?
List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Salem beside you.
Create a landlord account · See what landlords get
Looking for a place to rent?
Browse homes for rent near Salem, save the ones you like and apply online.
Browse rentals · Create a renter account
Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?
Get found by owners and renters near Salem, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.
Questions about Salem
What is the median household income in Salem?
The median household income in Salem is $61,667 (±$24,719) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Salem, KY?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $102,400 (±$20,492) for owner-occupied homes in Salem (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Salem?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Salem, KY is $1,217 (±$280) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Salem?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Salem, KY is $600 (±$179) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many homes are in Salem?
Salem, KY has an estimated 306 (±71) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the most common home size in Salem?
The most common size is 3 bedrooms, 59.5% of homes in Salem, KY.
Is Salem growing?
In Salem, the number of residents went from 704 in 2015–2019 to 780 in 2020–2024 (+10.8%), not a measurable change.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Salem city, Kentucky
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Salem city, Kentucky
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Salem city, Kentucky
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Salem city, Kentucky
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Salem city, Kentucky
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Salem city, Kentucky
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Salem city, Kentucky
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Livingston County, KY HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Livingston County, KY HUD Metro FMR Area
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Salem city, Kentucky (place:68052, in state:21).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .