Median Income
$26,768
household / year
Median Home Value
$62,100
owner-occupied
Median Rent
N/A
gross / month
Cost of Living
N/A
national avg = 100

Is Salem, NM a Good Place to Live?

Salem is a small town of 844 in New Mexico, with a median household income of $26,768 and a 21.1% unemployment rate.

Strengths: Salem stands out for below-average home prices.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include longer commutes, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Salem is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Salem city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Cost of living data is based on the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for the Salem metro area.

Metric Salem, NM National Avg
Median Home Value $62,100 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent N/A $1,163
Homeownership Rate 69.4% 65.9%
Median Household Income $26,768 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Higher than Average

Salem's violent crime rate is 545.4 per 100,000 residents — 44% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
545.4 /100k
Property Crime
3165.1 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Metric Salem, NM National Avg
School District N/A —
Elementary Schools N/A —
Middle Schools N/A —
High Schools N/A —
Student/Teacher Ratio N/A 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 0.0% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 40.7% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Salem sees average highs of 58.7°F in January and 97.5°F in July, with 10.2 inches of annual precipitation and 0.4 inches of snow per year.

MetricSalem, NM
Average High — January58.7°F
Average High — July97.5°F
Annual Precipitation10.2"
Annual Snowfall0.4"

Demographics

MetricSalem, NMNational Avg
Population844—
Median Age25.738.9
Unemployment Rate21.1%3.7%
Avg Commute Time33.5 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)11.4%59.3%
Black or African American0.0%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino88.6%18.9%
Asian0.0%6.3%
Under 1832.6%22.2%
65 and over0.0%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Hatch, NM 4 mi Placitas CDP (Doña Ana County), NM 4 mi Garfield, NM 5 mi Rodey, NM 6 mi Rincon, NM 8 mi

ZIP Codes in Salem

Salem, NM is covered by 1 ZIP code:

87941

Salem vs Other Cities

Salem, NM vs Hatch, NM Salem, NM vs Placitas CDP (Doña Ana County), NM Salem, NM vs Garfield, NM Salem, NM vs Rodey, NM Salem, NM vs Rincon, NM

Frequently Asked Questions

Salem has a median home value of $62,100 and median rent of N/A/month against a median household income of $26,768.
Salem's violent crime rate is 545.4 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 3165.1 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Salem, NM has a population of 844, a median household income of $26,768, and an unemployment rate of 21.1%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Salem averages 58.7°F in January and 97.5°F in July. Annual rainfall is 10.2 inches with about 0.4 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Salem, NM is covered by 1 ZIP code: 87941.
The population of Salem, New Mexico is 844 with a median age of 25.7. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Salem: median home $62,100, median household income $26,768, crime index 146 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Salem side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.