Salem
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The Salem album
Outdoors in Salem
Parks & trails →Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Landmark of the day
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Old First National Bank Building
The Capitol Center is a high-rise office building in downtown Salem, Oregon, United States. Finished in 1927, it was originally known as the First National Bank Building and owned by Salem businessman Thomas A. Livesley.
About Salem
Capital city of Oregon, United StatesSalem ( , SAY-ləm) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood of West Salem is in Polk County. The population was 175,535 at the 2020 census, and was estimated to be 180,406 in 2024, making it the second-most populous city in the state after Portland and before Eugene. Salem is the principal city of the Salem metropolitan area that covers Marion and Polk counties and had a combined population of 433,353 at the 2020 census and was estimated to…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
How Salem ranks
All →Town numbers
Housing in Salem
The typical Salem home is worth about $435,000, about the same as a year ago, 12% below the Oregon typical home.
A balanced market
Safety in Salem
Safety Grade D
Salem reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 88% report less. Compared with places its own size, it does better than 36%.
Work & commute in Salem
Full picture →49% of Salem’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Portland (6%), Keizer (3%) and Woodburn (2%). Half commute less than 5 miles.
Health in Salem
Health Grade B−
Healthier than 46% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.
Compared with Oregon
of 26 measures CDC estimates. The other 21 are too close to call.
What stands out
Care nearby
Natural hazards in Salem
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 56% of U.S. communities.
Climate in Salem
Full climate →Salem has mild winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 36°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
Schools in Salem
All Salem schools →School Grade B-
The public schools Salem’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 52% of Oregon’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within OR. Ratings are from neighbors.
Salem is a college town
Colleges →of Salem’s residents are enrolled in college. Willamette University has about 2,112 students on campus, and 1 more college is in town.
Salem’s library
Library details →Where Salem is
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