Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety12#13,695/15,637
Economy67#5,116/15,631
Housing—
Health42#9,111/15,609
Healthcare34#10,291/15,650
Environment16#12,955/15,453
Education43#8,859/15,649
Infrastructure63#5,865/15,650
Community7#14,569/15,651
Leisure & amenities10#14,047/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Salem (CDP), Arkansas ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Saline County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Rent-burdened households · low0.0%
99/100Arkansas 44.8%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Unemployment rate · low0.0%
98/100Arkansas 4.1%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025
Poverty rate · low2.4%
95/100Arkansas 15.3%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001High uncertainty
Mental health care shortage · low0.0
91/100Arkansas 12.8United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationSaline County value
Drug overdose deaths · low7.7 /100k
91/100Arkansas 10.6 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataSaline County value
Primary care shortage · low0.0
90/100Arkansas 12.9United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationSaline County value

Weaknesses

Public libraries · low0.2 /10k
2/100Arkansas 0.7 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesSaline County value
Firearm deaths · high27.8 /100k
4/100Arkansas 18.5 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataSaline County value
Grocery stores · low0.8 /10k
6/100Arkansas 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSaline County value
Homicide rate · high10.8 /100k
7/100Arkansas 7.0 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataSaline County value
Drought exposure · high84%
8/100Arkansas 78%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAASaline County value
Average weekly wage · low$934
9/100Arkansas $1,176United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSaline County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
1,993 (2015-2019) → 2,642 (2020-2024)
+33%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
81.6% (2015-2019) → 92.7% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
17.0% (2015-2019) → 25.7% (2020-2024)
+8.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.0× (2015-2019) → 2.7× (2020-2024)
+38%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Child poverty rateImproving
6.1% (2015-2019) → 0.0% (2020-2024)
−6.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Worsening
3.2% (2015-2019) → 6.6% (2020-2024)
+3.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Salem (CDP), Arkansas improved on 1 of 9 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 8 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Bachelor's++8.8 points17.0% → 25.7%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 9 measures

Change of every measure of Salem (CDP), Arkansas between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	22.5 min2015-2019	22.4 min2020-2024	−0.1 min	Within the margin of error	48%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.0%2015-2019	25.7%2020-2024	+8.8 points	Improved	86%
Broadband subscriptions	81.6%2015-2019	92.7%2020-2024	+11 points	Within the margin of error	65%
Effective property tax rate	0.56%2015-2019	0.63%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	8%
High school diploma or higher	92.5%2015-2019	94.3%2020-2024	+1.8 points	Within the margin of error	56%
Home price to income ratio	2.0×2015-2019	2.7×2020-2024	+0.7×	Within the margin of error	33%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3522015-2019	0.3802020-2024	+0.028	Within the margin of error	28%
Median household income	$78,5312015-2019	$73,7502020-2024	−6.1%	Within the margin of error	4%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Salem (CDP), Arkansas five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Salem (CDP), Arkansas in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Salem (CDP), Arkansas itself moved −4 points in standing on average over the same 8 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

2,642 residents (±630)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 80 and over men (+6.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

2,642 residents (±630)

Salem (CDP), Arkansas
Arkansas share

White91%2,393
Black0.7%†18
Hispanic or Latino6.5%†171
Asian0.0%0
American Indian and Alaska Native0.0%0
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races2.3%†60

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Hispanic or Latino (+6.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

2,312 residents (±542)

Salem (CDP), Arkansas
Arkansas share

No high school diploma5.7%†131
High school or GED41%†949
Some college22%†519
Associate degree5.1%†118
Bachelor's degree20%†460
Graduate degree5.8%†135

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Associate degree (−6.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

1,120 households (±242)

Salem (CDP), Arkansas
Arkansas share

Under $25k17%†188
$25k–50k18%†200
$50k–75k15%†172
$75k–100k17%†190
$100k–150k22%†243
$150k–200k3.6%†40
$200k or more7.8%†87

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

1,120 households (±242)

Salem (CDP), Arkansas
Arkansas share

Own83%935
Rent17%†185

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Rent (+16.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

148 households (±146)

Salem (CDP), Arkansas
Arkansas share

Under $7500.0%0
$750–1,00044%†65
$1,000–1,50056%†83

Home values

935 homes (±195)

Salem (CDP), Arkansas
Arkansas share

Under $150k25%†231
$150k–250k46%†428
$250k–400k18%†171

Age of homes

1,120 homes (±242)

Salem (CDP), Arkansas
Arkansas share

2010 or later11%†126
2000–20098.8%†99
1980–199926%†289

Size of homes

1,120 homes (±242)

Salem (CDP), Arkansas
Arkansas share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom2.7%†30
2 bedrooms16%†180

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

1,302 workers (±453)

Salem (CDP), Arkansas
Arkansas share

Drive alone78%†1,021
Carpool3.4%†44
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.0%0
Bike0.0%0
Work from home14%†188
Other3.8%†49

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+12.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

1,114 workers (±362)

Salem (CDP), Arkansas
Arkansas share

Under 15 min18%†198
15–29 min49%†550
30–44 min31%†344

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Saline County, the county holding most of Salem's residents.

Saline County has 2,389 employer establishments, 184 for every 10,000 residents (0.74× the US rate of 248; 0.80× Arkansas's), with 25,592 paid employees at an average annual pay of $40,434. The Census Bureau also counts 10,451 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,389; 10,451 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 184; US 248 · Arkansas 229
Paid employees: 25,592
Average annual pay: $40,434; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Saline County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	241	18.6	1.20×About typical	2,078	$52,904	1,062
Ambulatory health care services	235	18.1	0.87×About typical	1,493	$59,797	558
Restaurants and other eating places	175	13.5	0.73×Fewer than typical	3,686	$19,996	48
Building equipment contractors	133	10.3	1.70×More than typical	1,383	$58,141	247
Lessors of real estate	114	8.8	0.71×Fewer than typical	246	$40,776	902
Offices of other health practitioners	109	8.4	1.38×More than typical	484	$49,494	279
Construction of buildings	94	7.2	0.96×About typical	501	$51,265	450
Limited-service restaurants	92	7.1	0.88×About typical	1,970	$19,558	21
Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors	80	6.2	1.87×More than typical	775	$55,951	133
Insurance agencies and brokerages	71	5.5	1.25×About typical	274	$62,693	240
Religious organizations	71	5.5	0.99×About typical	575	$23,191	—
Offices of physicians	70	5.4	0.83×About typical	454	$76,148	91

Rank places for an industry Open Saline County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 129,667 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Salem (CDP), Arkansas: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

17KFY2017
1.6KFY2018
9.2KFY2019
12.4KFY2020
12.6KFY2021
12KFY2022
-5.1KFY2023
-3.8KFY2024
-1.4KFY2025

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Salem (CDP), Arkansas, so they do not add up across cities.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Salem is mostly in Saline County.

See federal money in Saline County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Salem (CDP), Arkansas is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

J. French HillR-AR-2 · 100% of residentsWith party 97%Missed 1.2%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Saline County47100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR43

Other cities and towns in Saline County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/0562210