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Compare towns

Salem vs Melbourne

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

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Salem, ARA regional job hubArkansas · 1,620 people
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Melbourne, AROne of the healthiest townsArkansas · 2,263 people
Swap order
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.

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 →
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 →
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.

Salem$930/mo
Typical home $168K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.35% · or rent about $676/mo · Housing →
Melbourne$1,020/mo
Typical home $180K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.52% · or rent about $601/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
CSalemSafer than 28% of U.S. towns –MelbourneNot graded
Schools
A+SalemBetter than 98% of districts in the state AMelbourneBetter than 94% of districts in the state
Health
DSalemHealthier than 6% of U.S. towns DMelbourneHealthier than 5% 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
SalemMelbourne
Snow a year5″7″
January low25°F—
July high90°F—
Growing season (days)204d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)89th87th
Outdoors & history
SalemMelbourne
Trails0 mi—
Conserved land0%—
Settled1900—
National Register places13
Archive photos—8
Famous people born here22
Community
SalemMelbourne
Library hours a week38 hrs29 hrs
Colleges in town—1
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.

SalemMelbourneSalemMelbourne
Salem ↔ Melbourne21 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.

SalemMelbourne
People
Population 1,620Lowest 2,263Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -4.2%Lowest AR: +3.3% -1%Highest AR: +3.3%
Median age 39.3±10.6Lowest about the AR average 40±7.2Highest 4% above AR
Melbourne and Salem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 25.7%±5.5Highest AR: 23.1% 21.3%±4Lowest 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+ 20.6%±4.5Highest AR: 17.6% 19.3%±3.7Lowest 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+ 11.7%Lowest AR: 25.7% 13.4%Highest AR: 25.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.2%±2.4Lowest AR: 5.1% 4%±2.4Highest 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 $40,833±$14kHighest 33% below AR $39,469±$9kLowest 35% 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 $105,900±$14kLowest 44% below AR $172,800±$31kHighest 8% below AR
Rentmedian gross, monthly $676±$38Highest 29% below AR $601±$60Lowest 37% 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 $367Lowest 65% below AR $906Highest 13% below AR
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 32.1%±12.8Highest AR: 44.8% 26%±9.6Lowest 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 29.1%Lowest AR: 16% 30.8%Highest AR: 16%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 56.7%Highest AR: 66.4% 54.9%Lowest AR: 66.4%
Typical home builtmedian year 1975Lowest 12 yrs older than AR 1984Highest 3 yrs older than AR
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 27 minHighest 20% above AR 25 minLowest 9% above AR
Work from home 8.2%±5.9Highest AR: 8.8% 6.4%±5.9Lowest 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 34.7%Highest 24.5%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 24.8 miHighest 23.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.17Highest 2.05Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Mountain Home (11%)Batesville (13%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 2% work in Melbourne2% work in Salem
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miLowest 0.5 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 mi 0.1 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 40.8Highest 23.1Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #11 of 113 in AR—
School district SALEM SCHOOL DISTRICTOZARKA COLLEGE TECHNICAL CENTER · MELBOURNE SCHOOL DISTRICT
High school in town Salem High SchoolMelbourne High School
Students per teacherat that high school 5.3Lowest 7.0Highest
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.

Salem neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Salem’s Town Square.

Melbourne neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Melbourne’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Salem and Melbourne

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

Towns like Salem

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McCrory1,850 people · $89K homes
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Cave City2,090 people · $121K homes
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Mansfield1,204 people · $114K homes
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Calico Rock1,771 people · $94K 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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