Is New Salem, PA a Good Place to Live?
New Salem is a small town of 991 in Pennsylvania, with a median household income of $99,549 and a 3.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 97 (US average = 100), which is 3% below the national average.
Strengths: New Salem stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether New Salem is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All New 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
Index: 96.6New Salem's overall cost of living index is 96.6, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in New Salem costs roughly 3% less than the average American city.
| Metric | New Salem, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $228,900 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,643 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 96.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $99,549 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for New Salem is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
| Metric | New Salem, PA | 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 | 21.9% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 96.2% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
New Salem sees average highs of 41.2°F in January and 87.7°F in July, with 46.5 inches of annual precipitation and 24.6 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | New Salem, PA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 41.2°F |
| Average High — July | 87.7°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 46.5" |
| Annual Snowfall | 24.6" |
Demographics
| Metric | New Salem, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 991 | — |
| Median Age | 37.8 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 22.7 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 88.3% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 10.3% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.9% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 24.5% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 12.5% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in New Salem
New Salem, PA is covered by 1 ZIP code: