97317 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
97317
97338
Opportunity
60 · Top 39%
vs59 · Top 40%
Growth
74 · Top 10%
vs57 · Top 38%
Climate
74 · Top 36%
vs74 · Top 36%
Physical resilience
42 · Bottom 33%
vs43 · Bottom 33%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 41%
vs74 · Bottom 40%
Access
69 · Bottom 11%
vs65 · Bottom 9%
Economic stability
49 · Bottom 31%
vs51 · Bottom 34%
Measured values
| Metric | 97317 | 97338 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,966 | 23,419 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $84,393 | $78,858 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,713 | $40,954 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 470/sq mi | 188/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $402,800 | $424,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,436 | $1,226 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.8% | 73.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.4% | 1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.2% | 25.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.9% | 13.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,177 | 61 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.6 | 3.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 67.7% | -17.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 36°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.1" | 40.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 50 mi | 56 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.2 min | 30.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.2 | 42.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.67 | 19.43 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 88.7% | 68.6% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
97317
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, heat wave.
97338
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, heat wave.
Full profiles: 97317 — Salem, OR · 97338 — Dallas, OR · How this is calculated: methodology