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Compare towns

Melbourne vs Salem

21 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (2.5× in Melbourne) and home values (+63% in Melbourne).

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Melbourne, AROne of the healthiest townsArkansas · 2,263 people
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Salem, ARA regional job hubArkansas · 1,620 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

MelbourneOne of the healthiest towns
Health95% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 94%of AR districts Work1,117 jobsbased in Melbourne, a regional job hub All about Melbourne →
SalemA regional job hub
Work1,076 jobsbased in Salem, a regional job hub Schools#11 for schools in ARof 113 towns Health94% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Salem →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Property tax bill2.5×
Tax bills are bigger in Melbourne
Melbourne $906Salem $367
Home values+63%
Homes cost more in Melbourne
Melbourne $172,800Salem $105,900
Trails2.5×
Melbourne has more miles of trail
Melbourne 0.5 miSalem 0.2 mi
Street grid+77%
Salem has the more walkable street grid
Salem 40.8Melbourne 23.1
Work in town+10.2 pts
More of Salem’s workers stay in town
Salem 34.7%Melbourne 24.5%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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.

Melbourne$1,020/mo
Typical home $180K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.52% · or rent about $601/mo · Housing →
Salem$930/mo
Typical home $168K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.35% · or rent about $676/mo · Housing →

The difference: $90 a month, about $1,100 a year, between Melbourne 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

Grades and rankings, side by side

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

Safety
–MelbourneNot graded CSalemSafer than 28% of U.S. towns
Schools
AMelbourneBetter than 94% of districts in the state A+SalemBetter than 98% of districts in the state
Health
DMelbourneHealthier than 5% of U.S. towns DSalemHealthier than 6% of U.S. towns
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
MelbourneSalem
Snow a year7″5″
January low—25°F
July high—90°F
Growing season (days)—204d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)87th89th
Outdoors & history
MelbourneSalem
Trails—0 mi
Conserved land—0%
Settled—1900
National Register places31
Archive photos8—
Famous people born here22
Community
MelbourneSalem
Library hours a week29 hrs38 hrs
Colleges in town1—
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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

21 miles apart

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

MelbourneSalemMelbourneSalem
Melbourne ↔ Salem21 miles apart
Who commutes between them
11 Melbourne residents work in Salem (2% of its workers)
8 Salem residents work in Melbourne (1.6% of its workers)
Work & commute in Melbourne →
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.

MelbourneSalem
People
Population 2,263Highest 1,620Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -1%Highest AR: +3.3% -4.2%Lowest AR: +3.3%
Median age 40±7.2Highest 4% above AR 39.3±10.6Lowest about the AR average
Melbourne and Salem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 21.3%±4Lowest AR: 23.1% 25.7%±5.5Highest AR: 23.1%
Salem and Melbourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 19.3%±3.7Lowest AR: 17.6% 20.6%±4.5Highest AR: 17.6%
Salem and Melbourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 13.4%Highest AR: 25.7% 11.7%Lowest AR: 25.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4%±2.4Highest AR: 5.1% 3.2%±2.4Lowest AR: 5.1%
Melbourne and Salem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $39,469±$9kLowest 35% below AR $40,833±$14kHighest 33% below AR
Salem and Melbourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $172,800±$31kHighest 8% below AR $105,900±$14kLowest 44% below AR
Rentmedian gross, monthly $601±$60Lowest 37% below AR $676±$38Highest 29% below AR
Salem and Melbourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $906Highest 13% below AR $367Lowest 65% below AR
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 26%±9.6Lowest AR: 44.8% 32.1%±12.8Highest AR: 44.8%
Salem and Melbourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 30.8%Highest AR: 16% 29.1%Lowest AR: 16%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 54.9%Lowest AR: 66.4% 56.7%Highest AR: 66.4%
Typical home builtmedian year 1984Highest 3 yrs older than AR 1975Lowest 12 yrs older than AR
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 25 minLowest 9% above AR 27 minHighest 20% above AR
Work from home 6.4%±5.9Lowest AR: 8.8% 8.2%±5.9Highest AR: 8.8%
Salem and Melbourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 24.5%Lowest 34.7%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.8 miLowest 24.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.05Lowest 2.17Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Batesville (13%)Mountain Home (11%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 2% work in Salem2% work in Melbourne
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.5 miHighest 0.2 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 mi 0.1 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 23.1Lowest 40.8Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#11 of 113 in AR
School district OZARKA COLLEGE TECHNICAL CENTER · MELBOURNE SCHOOL DISTRICTSALEM SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town Melbourne High SchoolSalem High School
Students per teacherat that high school 7.0Highest 5.3Lowest
Arkansas 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.

Melbourne neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Melbourne’s Town Square.

Salem neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Salem’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Melbourne and Salem

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

Towns like Melbourne

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Cave City2,090 people · $121K homes
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Glenwood1,841 people · $133K homes
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Judsonia2,052 people · $118K homes

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.

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