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
Monmouth
Opportunity
61 · Top 39%
vs58 · Top 46%
Growth
74 · Top 12%
vs60 · Top 32%
Climate
74 · Top 35%
vs74 · Top 35%
Physical resilience
42 · Bottom 33%
vs43 · Bottom 34%
Housing affordability
65 · Bottom 27%
vs69 · Bottom 32%
Access
69 · Bottom 11%
vs69 · Bottom 11%
Economic stability
52 · Bottom 35%
vs51 · Bottom 33%
Measured values
| Metric | Salem | Monmouth | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 178,865 | 11,428 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $75,487 | $69,170 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,066 | $29,746 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,654/sq mi | 5,104/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $416,900 | $413,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,400 | $1,114 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 55.9% | 47.4% | 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 | 31.5% | 27.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.4% | 16.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,177 | 33 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.6 | 2.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 67.7% | -19.5% | 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 | 50 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.0 min | 26.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.0 | 27.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 55 | 3 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.17 | 20.25 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 88.9% | 83.2% | 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
Salem
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, heat wave.
Monmouth
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, heat wave.
Full profiles: Salem, OR · Monmouth, OR · How this is calculated: methodology