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
Woodburn
Opportunity
61 · Top 39%
vs57 · Top 49%
Growth
74 · Top 12%
vs67 · Top 21%
Climate
74 · Top 35%
vs74 · Top 35%
Physical resilience
42 · Bottom 33%
vs44 · Bottom 34%
Housing affordability
65 · Bottom 27%
vs59 · Bottom 19%
Access
69 · Bottom 11%
vs80 · Bottom 22%
Economic stability
52 · Bottom 35%
vs51 · Bottom 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Salem | Woodburn | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 178,865 | 27,875 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $75,487 | $67,347 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,066 | $29,787 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,654/sq mi | 4,498/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $416,900 | $331,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,400 | $1,489 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 55.9% | 64.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 4.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.4% | 1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.5% | 15.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.4% | 16.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,177 | 271 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.6 | 9.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 67.7% | -47.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 36°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.1" | 39.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 50 mi | 33 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.0 min | 29.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.0 | 38.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 55 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.17 | 17.64 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 88.9% | 73.7% | 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.
Woodburn
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, heat wave.
Full profiles: Salem, OR · Woodburn, OR · How this is calculated: methodology