Salem receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Salem
Brockton
Opportunity
55 · Bottom 47%
vs44 · Bottom 25%
Growth
73 · Top 13%
vs35 · Bottom 25%
Climate
63 · Bottom 27%
vs62 · Bottom 24%
Physical resilience
78 · Top 27%
vs89 · Top 13%
Housing affordability
52 · Bottom 12%
vs60 · Bottom 20%
Schools
40 · Bottom 35%
vs12 · Bottom 3%
Access
98 · Top 15%
vs93 · Top 46%
Economic stability
64 · Top 42%
vs61 · Top 48%
Measured values
| Metric | Salem | Brockton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 44,795 | 105,386 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $85,153 | $80,115 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $50,339 | $35,830 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,401/sq mi | 4,940/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $542,800 | $437,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,836 | $1,641 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 49.7% | 57.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.8% | 22.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.1% | 13.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 177 | 41 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.0 | 0.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 378.4% | -10.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 44.9" | 53.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 11 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.0 min | 34.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.3 | 36.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.78 | 15.80 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 19.5% | 10.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 36.5% | 21.3% | 2019-20 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
Salem
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, earthquake, hurricane.
Brockton
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, hurricane.
Full profiles: Salem, MA · Brockton, MA · How this is calculated: methodology