Housing data for Salem, MO
Salem, MO has an estimated 4,677 residents and 2,367 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Dent County.
50.0% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $639 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−5.2%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 4,677 (±16)
- Housing units
- 2,367 (±178)
- Households that rent
- 50.0%
- Median gross rent
- $639
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −5.2%
What stands out in Salem
Households that rent: 50.0% (±8.1 points) in Salem, higher than in Dent County (24.1%).
Median home value: $115,000 (±$17,238) in Salem, lower than in Dent County ($167,500).
Households that moved in since 2020: 27.1% (±6.5 points) in Salem, higher than in Dent County (18.7%).
Homes built before 1980: 72.9% (±11.4 points) in Salem, higher than in Dent County (52.9%).
Housing in Salem at a glance
- Median rent: $639 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $817 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 42.5% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 50.0% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $43,923 median household income
- Home values: $115,000 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $996 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $760 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 4.5% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 51.0% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 72.9% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 1.6% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 50.1% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 15.3 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 232 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: −5.2% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 27.1% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.2% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Salem against Dent County, its state and the nation
| Salem | Dent County | Missouri | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 4,677 (±16) | 14,539 (exact) | 6,191,814 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 2,367 (±178) | 6,822 (±25) | 2,825,287 (±1,043) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 50.0% (±8.1 points) | 24.1% (±3.8 points) | 31.9% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $639 (±$163) | $660 (±$118) | $1,033 (±$6) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $43,923 (±$8,132) | $56,312 (±$4,171) | $70,702 (±$325) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $115,000 (±$17,238) | $167,500 (±$13,322) | $230,300 (±$880) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $760 (±$63) | $878 (±$57) | $1,948 (±$11) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 72.9% (±11.4 points) | 52.9% (±5.5 points) | 52.8% (±0.4 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 15.3 minutes (±2.9) | 21.0 minutes (±1.7) | 23.5 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 78.4% (±6.2 points) | 76.8% (±3.3 points) | 89.3% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 42.3 years (±2.9) | 43.5 years (±0.7) | 39.0 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Salem covers 3.5 square miles of land, about 1,344 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Salem has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 4,935 (±48) | 4,677 (±16) | −5.2% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 2,666 (±156) | 2,367 (±178) | −11.2% | Measurable decrease |
| Median gross rent | $508 (±$55) | $639 (±$163) | +25.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $77,300 (±$8,851) | $115,000 (±$17,238) | +48.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $30,417 (±$4,883) | $43,923 (±$8,132) | +44.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $910 (±$72) | $996 (±$155) | +9.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $634 (±$110) | $760 (±$63) | +19.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 44.8% (±6.1 points) | 50.0% (±8.1 points) | +5.2 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 4.8% (±5.2 points) | 1.6% (±2.8 points) | −3.2 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 Salem
In 2025, the Salem Police Department reported 232 violent and 990 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Dent County, the departments that report recorded 136 violent and 578 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
Places near Salem
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherrill Township | 18 mi | $721 | $120,900 | 28.2% |
| Edgar Springs | 19 mi | — | $95,000 | 14.0% |
| Licking | 20 mi | $657 | $116,900 | 47.2% |
| Bunker | 22 mi | $477 | $48,100 | 36.1% |
| Jackson Township (Texas County) | 23 mi | $710 | $123,700 | 19.8% |
| Viburnum | 23 mi | $514 | $88,800 | 19.9% |
| Rolla | 25 mi | $789 | $187,000 | 60.6% |
| Steelville | 25 mi | $599 | $92,500 | 56.2% |
Places in Missouri most like Salem
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $720 | $122,700 | $42,813 | 47.1% |
| Alton | $639 | $114,200 | $50,208 | 44.3% |
| Willow Springs | $634 | $135,400 | $41,406 | 48.7% |
| Houston | $698 | $114,400 | $40,000 | 45.8% |
| Bethany | $700 | $121,700 | $48,375 | 43.6% |
| Poplar Bluff | $760 | $119,800 | $41,941 | 46.9% |
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 Missouri.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Salem, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $735 | $763 | $998 | $1,189 | $1,497 |
HUD income limits for Salem, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $16,300 | $27,150 | $43,400 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $31,000 | $49,600 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $34,900 | $55,800 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $38,750 | $62,000 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $41,850 | $67,000 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $44,950 | $71,950 |
| 7 people | $48,050 | $48,050 | $76,900 |
| 8 people | $51,150 | $51,150 | $81,850 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Dent County, MO, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $71,900.
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.
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Questions about Salem
What is the average rent in Salem, MO?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Salem is $639 (±$163) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Salem?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Salem, MO is $471 (±$14) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Salem rent-burdened?
42.5% of renting households in Salem pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Salem?
Salem has an estimated 983 (±211) renting households, 50.0% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Salem?
The median household income in Salem is $43,923 (±$8,132) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Salem, MO?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $115,000 (±$17,238) for owner-occupied homes in Salem (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Salem growing?
In Salem, the number of residents went from 4,935 in 2015–2019 to 4,677 in 2020–2024 (−5.2%), a measurable decrease.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Salem city, Missouri
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Salem city, Missouri
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Salem city, Missouri
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Salem city, Missouri
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Salem city, Missouri
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Salem city, Missouri
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Salem city, Missouri
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Dent County, MO
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Dent County, MO
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Salem Police Department (ORI MO0330100)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- 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, Missouri (place:65234, in state:29).
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 .