Demographics · OR
Salem, OR demographics: 178,865 residents, with a median age of 36.0 years, from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2020–2024 (5-year estimates).
178,865 people live in Salem, at a median age of 36.0 years (American Community Survey 2020–2024, a 5-year average)
Median age 36.0 years — younger than the U.S. median of 38.9.
ACS 2020–2024 5-year · ACS 5-Year Estimates 2020-2024 (released 2026-01-29)
In Salem, the largest race group is White (66.3%); 25.4% of residents are Hispanic or Latino (of any race); 12.8% were born outside the United States.
ACS 2020–2024 · B01001 / B01002
The median age in Salem is 36.0 years (±0.6), younger than the U.S. median of 38.9 years. The population is 50.3% male and 49.7% female. The largest age band is 5 to 17 at 17.0%.
| Age band | People | Share | ± margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 10,366 | 5.8% | ±706 |
| 5 to 17 | 30,442 | 17.0% | ±1,443 |
| 18 to 24 | 17,561 | 9.8% | ±1,085 |
| 25 to 34 | 28,638 | 16.0% | ±1,144 |
| 35 to 44 | 24,781 | 13.9% | ±1,222 |
| 45 to 54 | 20,286 | 11.3% | ±881 |
| 55 to 64 | 18,610 | 10.4% | ±1,057 |
| 65 to 74 | 16,240 | 9.1% | ±980 |
| 75 and over | 11,941 | 6.7% | ±834 |
Median age by sex: 35.0 (male) · 36.9 (female).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B01001 sex by age, B01002 median age) · place-grain · margins of error at the 90% confidence level · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B02001 / B03003
The largest race group in Salem is White at 66.3% of the population. Separately, 25.4% of residents are Hispanic or Latino of any race. Race and Hispanic origin are two different questions on the census form, so their shares are reported separately and are not additive.
| Race (alone, or two or more) | People | Share | ± margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| White alone | 118,619 | 66.3% | ±2,236 |
| Black or African American alone | 2,980 | 1.7% | ±532 |
| American Indian & Alaska Native alone | 2,130 | 1.2% | ±567 |
| Asian alone | 6,435 | 3.6% | ±785 |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander alone | 2,807 | 1.6% | ±623 |
| Some other race alone | 15,627 | 8.7% | ±1,780 |
| Two or more races | 30,267 | 16.9% | ±2,007 |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 45,440 | 25.4% | ±1,945 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B02001 race, B03003 Hispanic or Latino origin) · place-grain · margins of error at the 90% confidence level · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B11001 / B25010
Salem has 67,629 households. 61.6% are family households and 29.4% are people living alone. The average household holds 2.52 people.
Total households
67,629
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr · B11001
Avg household size
2.52
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr · B25010 · ±0.04
Family households
61.6%
Share of all households · B11001
Living alone
29.4%
Share of all households · B11001
| Household type | Households | ± margin |
|---|---|---|
| Total households | 67,629 | ±997 |
| Family households | 41,664 | ±1,001 |
| Nonfamily households | 25,965 | ±1,101 |
| Householder living alone | 19,882 | ±963 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B11001 household type, B25010 average household size) · place-grain · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B05002 / C16001
12.8% of Salem residents were born outside the United States. 76.5% of residents age 5 and over speak only English at home. The most-spoken non-English language at home is Spanish (17.3%).
| Measure | Value | Source / grain |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign-born share | 12.8% | 22,936 people · B05002 |
| Speak only English at home (age 5+) | 76.5% | C16001 |
| Top non-English language at home | 17.3% | Spanish · 29,134 speakers · C16001 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B05002 place of birth, C16001 language spoken at home) · place-grain · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B15003
31.5% of adults age 25 and over in Salem hold a bachelor's degree or higher (the U.S. share is about 35%).
| Measure | Value | Source / grain |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 31.5% | B15003 lines 22–25 over line 1 · place-grain |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B15003 educational attainment, population 25+) · place-grain · methodology →
Sources · provenance
The GEOID for Salem is 4164900. Every figure on this page is a place-grain American Community Survey 5-Year 2020–2024 estimate (ACS 5-Year Estimates 2020-2024 (released 2026-01-29)) shown with its margin of error. Full per-dataset detail: /sources/.