Compare towns
Concord vs Salem
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Concord has the highest household income ($195k).
Salem has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.6%).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Concord | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 18,223Lowest |
44,795Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.7%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+7.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 47.6±2Highest 19% above MA |
39.3±1.5Lowest about the MA average |
| Kids under 18 | 23.6%±2.6Highest MA: 19.4% |
15.7%±1.7Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 23.7%±2.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
17.2%±1.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 79.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
47.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±1.7Lowest MA: 7.9% |
8.2%±1.1Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Salem and Concord are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $195,350±$22kHighest 88% above MA |
$85,153±$5kLowest 18% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $1,210,000±$72kHighest 115% above MA |
$542,800±$18kLowest 3% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,631±$166Highest 49% above MA |
$1,836±$84Lowest 4% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$6,114Lowest about the MA average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.2%±10.5Lowest MA: 51.8% |
54.9%±4.8Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Salem and Concord are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 3.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
12.1%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
49.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Highest 5 yrs newer than MA |
1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 32 minHighest 11% above MA |
29 minLowest about the MA average |
| Work from home | 36.1%±4.5Highest MA: 18.6% |
21.6%±2.5Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #10 of 282 in MA | #248 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Concord · Concord-Carlisle | Salem |
| High school in town | Concord Carlisle High | Salem High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.4Highest |
9.8Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet |
MA average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.