A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Culpeper$2,620/mo

Typical home $459K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.55% · or rent about $1,416/mo · Housing →

Salem$1,860/mo

Typical home $310K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.90% · or rent about $1,133/mo · Housing →

The difference: $760 a month, about $9,100 a year, between Culpeper and Salem.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Salem places higher on 12 of 21 VA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Virginia ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

B−CulpeperSafer than 46% of U.S. towns –SalemNot graded

Schools

C+CulpeperBetter than 44% of districts in the state B+SalemBetter than 65% of districts in the state

Health

B−CulpeperHealthier than 52% of U.S. towns BSalemHealthier than 60% of U.S. towns

8Culpeper

12Salem

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fastest growingGrowth · 240 towns #29#191 Shortest commuteGetting around · 255 towns #199#28 Best schoolsSchools · 219 towns #172#71 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 255 towns #211#95 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 95 towns #25#58 Lowest obesityHealth · 255 towns #198#135 Most conserved landOutdoors · 243 towns #164#108 Most affordableCost of living · 251 towns #119#62

Left end = #1 in Virginia. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Culpeper’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

CulpeperSalem

Snow a year16″18″

January low25°F —

July high87°F —

Growing season (days)204d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)62nd 43rd

Outdoors & history

CulpeperSalem

Trails4 mi 5 mi

Conserved land2.5%5.6%

Settled1759 1802

National Register places12 20

Archive photos18 24

Famous people born here32 12

Community

CulpeperSalem

Library hours a week48 hrs 54 hrs

Colleges in town—2

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 1

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

139 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

CulpeperVA SalemVA

Culpeper ↔ Salem139 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Virginia average

CulpeperSalem

People

Population 20,794Lowest 25,618Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +22.5%Highest VA: +7.9% +2.2%Lowest VA: +7.9%

Median age 32.5±1.4Lowest 17% below VA 40±1Highest about the VA average

Kids under 18 29.8%±3.1Highest VA: 21.7% 19.5%±1.5Lowest VA: 21.7%

Age 65+ 11.1%±1.9Lowest VA: 16.7% 19.6%±1.7Highest VA: 16.7%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 30.7%Lowest VA: 42.2% 33%Highest VA: 42.2%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.3%±1.7Lowest VA: 6.9% 10%±1Highest VA: 6.9%

Salem and Culpeper are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $94,721±$12kHighest about the VA average $66,725±$6kLowest 28% below VA

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $390,000±$19kHighest about the VA average $258,600±$12kLowest 33% below VA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,416±$89Highest 10% below VA $1,133±$59Lowest 28% below VA

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,139Lowest 23% below VA $2,316Highest 17% below VA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 42%±9.7Lowest VA: 48.5% 50.8%±7.9Highest VA: 48.5%

Salem and Culpeper are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 12.8%Highest VA: 9.9% 10.2%Lowest VA: 9.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 59.2%Lowest VA: 67.3% 62.8%Highest VA: 67.3%

Typical home builtmedian year 1998Highest 14 yrs newer than VA 1971Lowest 13 yrs older than VA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 32 minHighest 17% above VA 19 minLowest 30% below VA

Work from home 10.3%±3.3Lowest VA: 18.3% 10.8%±2.5Highest VA: 18.3%

Salem and Culpeper are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 21.7%Lowest 26.1%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 31.8 miHighest 5.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.30Lowest 1.96Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Warrenton (5%)Roanoke (27%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SalemFew work in Culpeper

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.5%Lowest 5.6%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 4.2 miLowest 4.8 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.6 miHighest 0.3 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Lowest 5Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 84.4Highest 71.7Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #172 of 219 in VA #71 of 219 in VA

School district Culpeper County Public SchoolsRoanoke County Public Schools · Salem City Public Schools

High school in town None in townSalem High

Students per teacherat that high school — 9.1

Virginia average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Culpeper neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Culpeper’s Town Square.

Salem neighborsTown Square →

1 neighbor in Salem can answer.

Add a town

Set another town beside Culpeper and Salem

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like Culpeper

+ Compare

Manassas Park16,798 people · $396K homes

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Waynesboro22,841 people · $246K homes

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Colonial Heights18,352 people · $247K homes

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Front Royal15,296 people · $314K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Virginia towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Culpeper vs Salem

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $760 more a month in Culpeper

Salem places higher on 12 of 21 VA lists

What daily life feels like in each

139 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Culpeper and Salem

Towns like Culpeper

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