Median Income
$61,250
household / year
Median Home Value
$156,300
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$950
gross / month
Cost of Living
94
national avg = 100

Is Salem, SC a Good Place to Live?

Salem is a small town of 145 in South Carolina, with a median household income of $61,250 . Its cost of living index is 94 (US average = 100), which is 6% below the national average.

Strengths: 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 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

Index: 93.6

Salem's overall cost of living index is 93.6, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Salem costs roughly 6% less than the average American city.

Metric Salem, SC National Avg
Median Home Value $156,300 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $950 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 92.5% 65.9%
Median Household Income $61,250 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Safer than Average

Salem's violent crime rate is 338.2 per 100,000 residents — 11% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
338.2 /100k
Property Crime
2124.6 /100k

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

Schools & Education

Metric Salem, SC 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 8.7% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 82.7% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Salem sees average highs of 48.3°F in January and 80.4°F in July, with 62.3 inches of annual precipitation and 3.5 inches of snow per year.

MetricSalem, SC
Average High — January48.3°F
Average High — July80.4°F
Annual Precipitation62.3"
Annual Snowfall3.5"

Demographics

MetricSalem, SCNational Avg
Population145—
Median Age44.638.9
Unemployment Rate0.0%3.7%
Avg Commute Time24.4 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)95.9%59.3%
Black or African American0.0%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino1.4%18.9%
Asian0.7%6.3%
Under 1823.4%22.2%
65 and over17.2%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Tamassee, SC 2 mi Keowee Key, SC 6 mi Walhalla, SC 9 mi West Union, SC 10 mi Six Mile, SC 11 mi

Salem vs Other Cities

Salem, SC vs Tamassee, SC Salem, SC vs Keowee Key, SC Salem, SC vs Walhalla, SC Salem, SC vs West Union, SC Salem, SC vs Six Mile, SC

Frequently Asked Questions

Salem's cost of living index is 94, where 100 is the national average. That makes Salem roughly 6% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage. The median home price is $156,300 and median rent is $950/month.
Salem's violent crime rate is 338.2 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 2124.6 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, SC has a population of 145, a median household income of $61,250, and an unemployment rate of 0.0%. It offers below-average costs of living, which stretches take-home pay further than in most American cities. 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 48.3°F in January and 80.4°F in July. Annual rainfall is 62.3 inches with about 3.5 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
The population of Salem, South Carolina is 145 with a median age of 44.6. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Salem: cost of living index 94 (100 = US average), median home $156,300, median household income $61,250, crime index 94 (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.