City · Salem County, New Jersey

Salem, New Jersey

Salem is a city in Salem County, New Jersey, part of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area. It has 5,322 residents. Salem, New Jersey has a quality-of-life score of 9 out of 100 (very low), ranking #14,281 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within New Jersey it ranks #551 of 552 cities and towns. It ranks best on job growth (high), public transit commuters (high) and depression (low). It ranks worst on effective property tax rate (high), preventable hospital stays (high) and lack of reliable transportation (high).

9Very low

Quality-of-life score: #14,281 of 15,651 cities and towns
New Jersey: #551 of 552 in NJ
Population: 5,322 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 2,270.1 /mi²
FIPS code: 3465490

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 74 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

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

Safety50#7,884/15,637
Economy10#14,118/15,631
Housing22#11,618/14,977
Health13#13,562/15,609
Healthcare24#11,868/15,650
Environment35#10,000/15,453
Education32#10,652/15,649
Infrastructure8#14,433/15,650
Community28#11,290/15,651
Leisure & amenities9#14,227/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Salem, New Jersey ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Salem 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

Job growth · high3.6%
96/100New Jersey 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataSalem County value
Public transit commuters · high4.9%
93/100New Jersey 8.1%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301High uncertainty
Depression · low18.7%
90/100New Jersey 15.6%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Students per teacher · low11.8×
85/100New Jersey 12.0×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsSalem County value
Dental care shortage · low0.0
84/100New Jersey 0.4United States 5.7Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationSalem County value
Home price to income ratio · low2.1×
84/100New Jersey 4.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077

Weaknesses

Effective property tax rate · high3.37%
0/100New Jersey 1.88%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Preventable hospital stays · high4,661 /100k
3/100New Jersey 3,143 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSalem County value
Lack of reliable transportation · high18.4%
4/100New Jersey 7.8%United States 8.3%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Food insecurity · high36.7%
4/100New Jersey 15.0%United States 15.6%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Physical inactivity · high38.9%
4/100New Jersey 23.8%United States 26.5%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Broadband subscriptions · low79.0%
5/100New Jersey 92.8%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002

Trends

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

PopulationRising
4,781 (2015-2019) → 5,322 (2020-2024)
+11%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateImproving
58.5% (2015-2019) → 29.8% (2020-2024)
−29 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Poverty rateImproving
42.2% (2015-2019) → 24.8% (2020-2024)
−17 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Median household incomeImproving
$24,926 (2015-2019) → $38,721 (2020-2024)
+55%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
68.8% (2015-2019) → 79.0% (2020-2024)
+10 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
7.2% (2015-2019) → 15.0% (2020-2024)
+7.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%

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, New Jersey improved on 4 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 10 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.

Improved4

Poverty−17 points42.2% → 24.8%
Child poverty−29 points58.5% → 29.8%
Bachelor's++7.7 points7.2% → 15.0%
Broadband+10 points68.8% → 79.0%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Salem, New Jersey between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	26.1 min2015-2019	28.7 min2020-2024	+2.6 min	Within the margin of error	22%
Bachelor's degree or higher	7.2%2015-2019	15.0%2020-2024	+7.7 points	Improved	83%
Broadband subscriptions	68.8%2015-2019	79.0%2020-2024	+10 points	Improved	61%
Child poverty rate	58.5%2015-2019	29.8%2020-2024	−29 points	Improved	97%
Effective property tax rate	3.86%2015-2019	3.37%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	90%
High school diploma or higher	82.5%2015-2019	80.9%2020-2024	−1.6 points	Within the margin of error	18%
Home price to income ratio	3.3×2015-2019	2.1×2020-2024	−1.2×	Within the margin of error	98%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5322015-2019	0.4872020-2024	−0.045	Within the margin of error	82%
Median household income	$24,9262015-2019	$38,7212020-2024	+55%	Within the margin of error	88%
Poverty rate	42.2%2015-2019	24.8%2020-2024	−17 points	Improved	98%
Rent as share of income	44.9%2015-2019	40.4%2020-2024	−4.5 points	Within the margin of error	81%
Rent-burdened households	71.7%2015-2019	64.2%2020-2024	−7.5 points	Within the margin of error	77%
Unemployment rate	14.6%2015-2019	10.2%2020-2024	−4.5 points	Within the margin of error	95%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	5.9%2015-2019	5.0%2020-2024	−0.9 points	Within the margin of error	58%

“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, New Jersey five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Salem, New Jersey 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, New Jersey itself moved +6.8 points in standing on average over the same 10 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

5,322 residents (±38)

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: Under 10 men (−6.2 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

5,322 residents (±38)

Salem, New Jersey
New Jersey share

White29%1,548
Black57%3,041
Hispanic or Latino8.7%†462

Education

3,585 residents (±253)

Salem, New Jersey
New Jersey share

No high school diploma19%†686
High school or GED41%1,481
Some college18%640

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

2,386 households (±201)

Salem, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Under $25k35%835
$25k–50k21%†503
$50k–75k22%†533
$75k–100k5.2%†124
$100k–150k9.1%†218
$150k–200k5.2%†124
$200k or more2.1%†49

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−15.1 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 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

2,386 households (±201)

Salem, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Own35%829
Rent65%1,557

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

Table view

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

Rent paid

1,540 households (±240)

Salem, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Under $75026%†400
$750–1,00017%†260
$1,000–1,50038%†

Home values

829 homes (±200)

Salem, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Under $150k78%644
$150k–250k18%†147
$250k–400k1.1%†9

Age of homes

3,073 homes (±202)

Salem, New Jersey
New Jersey share

2010 or later2.7%†82
2000–20093.8%†117
1980–19993.6%†110

Size of homes

3,073 homes (±202)

Salem, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Studio4.4%†134
1 bedroom19%†596
2 bedrooms34%1,049

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

2,031 workers (±243)

Salem, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Drive alone63%1,286
Carpool21%†432
Public transit4.9%†99
Walk0.3%†7
Bike0.4%†9
Work from home8.5%†173
Other1.2%†25

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Carpool (+13.4 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

1,858 workers (±237)

Salem, New Jersey
New Jersey share

Under 15 min19%†344
15–29 min37%679
30–44 min25%†467

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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

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 Salem County, the county holding most of Salem's residents.

Salem County has 1,137 employer establishments, 174 for every 10,000 residents (0.70× the US rate of 248; 0.69× New Jersey's), with 17,630 paid employees at an average annual pay of $64,898. The Census Bureau also counts 3,818 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,137; 3,818 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 174; US 248 · New Jersey 253
Paid employees: 17,630
Average annual pay: $64,898; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	96	14.7	0.95×About typical	787	$72,813	227
Ambulatory health care services	93	14.2	0.68×Fewer than typical	645	$67,016	126
Restaurants and other eating places	71	10.8	0.59×Fewer than typical	887	$21,143	20
Religious organizations	52	7.9	1.43×More than typical	198	$16,197	—
Services to buildings and dwellings	44	6.7	1.00×About typical	204	$51,873	183
Construction of buildings	43	6.6	0.87×About typical	227	$54,203	112
Building equipment contractors	40	6.1	1.01×About typical	441	$70,930	54
Personal care services	39	6	1.25×About typical	137	$22,117	109
Automotive repair and maintenance	37	5.6	1.12×About typical	139	$45,993	58
Lessors of real estate	33	5	0.41×Fewer than typical	99	$39,717	433
Landscaping services	32	4.9	1.39×More than typical	149	$51,785	64
Limited-service restaurants	32	4.9	0.61×Fewer than typical	313	$28,035	10

Rank places for an industry Open Salem County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 65,488 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 $33.6K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Salem, New Jersey: $6.31 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $33.6K; −31% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6.31; US $1,994
Sole-source: 100%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; 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

Department of Veterans Affairs$33.6K100%

Top recipients

GOLDEN REHABILITATION AND NURSING CENTER LLC$33.6K100%
MANNINGTON MILLS INC-$4.760.0%

Spending by fiscal year

11.3KFY2017
2.7KFY2018
3.9KFY2019
2.1KFY2020
2.2KFY2021
5.5KFY2022
89.2KFY2023
217.9KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) · 6231$33.6K100%

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, New Jersey, so they do not add up across cities.

Salem, New Jersey's figures are part of those of Salem County, NJ ($9.8M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.3% of that total.

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

See federal money in Salem 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, New Jersey is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Jefferson Van DrewR-NJ-2 · 100% of residentsWith party 95%Missed 1.5%

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.

Salem County45100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD73

Other cities and towns in Salem 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
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
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/3465490

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends