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Salem, MO
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers
Population
4,677
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Age
42.3
years ∙ half population younger than 42.3, half older
Diversity Index
17%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Nativity
0.4%
foreign-born population
Geographic Context
Location, size, and surroundings
About
Salem is a city within Dent County, Missouri, United States.
Co-ordinates
DEC37.639568° N, 91.534860° W
DMS37° 38′ 22.44″ N, 91° 32′ 05.50″ W
Population Density & area
1,344/sq mi
(519.1/km²)
Demographics & Living
Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition
Population Composition
Key characteristics of the population
Sex Distribution
45%
male
Male
45%
Female
55%
males per 100 females
Salem
81.9
Dent County
100
Missouri
97.2
Nativity
0.4%
foreign-born population
% Foreign-born
Salem
0.4%
Dent County
1.9%
Missouri
4.5%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups
Median Age
42.3
years ∙ half population younger than 42.3, half older
Dependency ratio
77.6
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Salem
77.6
Dent County
81.1
Missouri
67.3
AGE DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of age group
Median age
| Salem | Dent County | Missouri | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Group | |||
| Children (Under 18) | 21.8% | 22.6% | 22.3% |
| Working age (18-64) | 56.3% | 55.2% | 59.8% |
| Senior (65+) | 21.9% | 22.2% | 17.9% |
| Dependency ratio | |||
| Total dependency ratio | 77.6 | 81.1 | 67.3 |
| Child dependency ratio | 38.7 | 40.8 | 37.4 |
| Old-age dependency ratio | 38.9 | 40.3 | 29.9 |
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares
Race & Ethnicity
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.
Diversity Index
17%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Salem
17%
Dent County
16.7%
Missouri
40%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.
RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION
Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of Salem population
| Salem | Dent County | Missouri | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.7% | 2.2% | 5.2% |
| Mexican | 1% | 1.7% | 3.2% |
| Puerto Rican | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Cuban | 0% | 0% | 0.1% |
| Other Hispanic / Latino | 0.6% | 0.3% | 1.4% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 98.3% | 97.8% | 94.8% |
| One race | 92.9% | 93.3% | 90% |
| White | 90.9% | 91.1% | 76.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.9% | 0.4% | 10.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.9% | 0.7% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 0.2% | 0.9% | 2.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Some Other Race | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Two or more races (Multiracial) | 5.4% | 4.5% | 4.8% |
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure
Household structure
53.7%
family
Family
53.7%
Non family
46.3%
% family households
Salem
53.7%
Dent County
64.5%
Missouri
62.1%
Average household size
2.31
persons per household
Household & Family COMPOSITION
Households
Percentage of Salem population
| Salem | Dent County | Missouri | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total households | 1,966 | 5,618 | 2,508,227 |
| Average houshold size | 2.31 | 2.55 | 2.4 |
| Family households | 1,056 | 3,623 | 1,558,009 |
| Average family size | 3.16 | 3.23 | 3.03 |
| Married couple family | 623 | 2,730 | 1,166,368 |
| Other families | 433 | 893 | 391,641 |
| Male householder | 101 | 306 | 115,975 |
| Female householder | 332 | 587 | 275,666 |
| Non-family households | 910 | 1,995 | 950,218 |
| One-person households | 883 | 1,877 | 781,034 |
| Male householder | 333 | 804 | 351,809 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 132 | 306 | 107,203 |
| Female householder | 550 | 1,073 | 429,225 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 469 | 731 | 215,073 |
| Other living arrangements | 27 | 118 | 169,184 |
Housing Profile
Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens
Total housing units
2,367
housing units
Salem
2,367
Dent County
6,822
Missouri
2,825,287
Occupancy status
83.1%
occupied
Occupied
83.1%
Vacant
16.9%
vacancy rate
Salem
16.9%
Dent County
17.6%
Missouri
11.2%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used
Types of Housing unit
71.8%
Single family houses
Median Year Built
1970
Half of houses were built before 1970, and half after.
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.
Housing Characteristics
Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
| Salem | Dent County | Missouri | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms per unit | |||
| Median rooms | 5.2 | 5.6 | 5.7 |
| 1–3 rooms | 17.2% | 9.8% | 11.5% |
| 4–6 rooms | 62.6% | 60% | 53.4% |
| 7+ rooms | 20.2% | 30.2% | 35% |
| Bedrooms | |||
| No bedroom / studio | 2.5% | 1.5% | 2% |
| 1 bedroom | 16.5% | 10.2% | 9.7% |
| 2 bedrooms | 30% | 24.1% | 26.1% |
| 3 bedrooms | 40.9% | 47.6% | 41.3% |
| 4+ bedrooms | 10.1% | 16.6% | 20.9% |
| At a glance | |||
| Median year built | 1970 | 1980 | 1979 |
| Total housing units | 2,367 | 6,822 | 2,825,287 |
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it
Homeownership
50%
owners
Renter-occupied
50%
Owner-occupied
50%
homeownership rate
Salem
50%
Dent County
75.9%
Missouri
68.1%
Average household size
2.52
Owner-occupied
2.1
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Salem
2.52
Dent County
2.65
Missouri
2.54
Housing Characteristics
Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Salem | Dent County | Missouri | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total occupied units | 1,966 | 5,618 | 2,508,227 |
| Year moved in | |||
| 2020 or later | 27.1% | 18.7% | 24.7% |
| 2010 to 2019 | 44.9% | 43.1% | 40% |
| 2000 to 2009 | 13.8% | 15.3% | 16.5% |
| 1999 or earlier | 14.2% | 22.9% | 18.8% |
| Occupants per room | |||
| 1.00 or fewer | 99.8% | 97% | 98.3% |
| 1.01 to 1.50 | 0.2% | 1.6% | 1.2% |
| 1.51 or more | 0% | 1.4% | 0.5% |
| Vehicles availability | |||
| No vehicles | 8.1% | 6.1% | 6.6% |
| 1 vehicle | 42.8% | 27.8% | 33% |
| 2 vehicles | 35.8% | 35.9% | 37.5% |
| 3 or more vehicles | 13.3% | 30.2% | 22.8% |
| House heating fuel used | |||
| Gas | 41.1% | 30.3% | 57.7% |
| Electricity | 50.1% | 44.1% | 38.8% |
| Solar | 0% | 0% | 0.1% |
| Fuel oil, kerosene etc | 1.4% | 0.9% | 0.2% |
| All other fuels | 7.2% | 24.4% | 2.8% |
| No fuel used | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Selected characteristics | |||
| Lacking complete plumbing | 0.5% | 1.6% | 0.4% |
| Lacking complete kitchen | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| No telephone service available | 0% | 1% | 0.9% |
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth
Median home value
$115,000
owner-occupied units
Housing Cost Burden
22.7%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.
Financial characteristics
Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Salem | Dent County | Missouri | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property value | |||
| Median Value | $115,000 | $167,500 | $230,300 |
| Under $100,000 | 42.1% | 30.8% | 15.9% |
| $100,000 - $200,000 | 36.1% | 27.7% | 25.7% |
| $200,000 - $300,000 | 14.4% | 20.6% | 24.1% |
| $300,000 - $500,000 | 7.3% | 14.9% | 23.6% |
| $500,000 - $1,000,000 | 0% | 4.6% | 9.1% |
| $1,000,000 and more | 0% | 1.4% | 1.6% |
| Owner-occupied households | |||
| With a mortgage | 51.7% | 48.1% | 60.2% |
| Without a mortgage | 48.3% | 51.9% | 39.8% |
| Median monthly owner costs | |||
| With a mortgage | $996 | $1,219 | $1,524 |
| Without a mortgage | $437 | $370 | $546 |
| Gross rent | |||
| Median rent | $639 | $660 | $1,033 |
Education Profile
How educated is the community and how education pays off
Adults with a college degree
15.1%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Salem
15.1%
Dent County
16.5%
Missouri
32.4%
Adults without a high school diploma
16.2%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Salem
16.2%
Dent County
16.4%
Missouri
8.2%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level
School enrollment
1,115
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)
34.6%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Enrollment & school type
Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
| Salem | Dent County | Missouri | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total enrolled (age 3+) | 1,115 | 3,041 | 1,440,482 |
| Nursery / preschool | 4.3% | 6.8% | 6.3% |
| K–12 | 70.8% | 72.5% | 69.4% |
| Kindergarten | 5.4% | 4.3% | 5.1% |
| Elementary: Grades 1–4 | 25.5% | 23.5% | 20.5% |
| Elementary: Grades 5–8 | 21.3% | 23.9% | 21.7% |
| High School: Grades 9–12 | 18.6% | 20.8% | 22% |
| College or graduate school | 24.9% | 20.7% | 24.3% |
| College, undergraduate | 18.8% | 12.4% | 18.7% |
| Graduate, professional school | 6.1% | 8.3% | 5.6% |
| College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds | 34.6% | 25.7% | 38.1% |
| School type | |||
| Public school | 87.5% | 80.1% | 80.3% |
| Private school | 12.5% | 19.9% | 19.7% |
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults
Education attainment
3,271
population 25 years and over
Attainment by gender
Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
Educational Attainment Overview
Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
| Salem | Dent County | Missouri | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (25+) | 3,271 | 10,262 | 4,243,115 |
| Less than 9th grade | 3.8% | 5.7% | 2.7% |
| 9th–12th, no diploma | 12.4% | 10.7% | 5.5% |
| High school diploma or GED | 30.9% | 39% | 30.2% |
| Some college, no degree | 31% | 21.3% | 20.8% |
| Associate's degree | 6.7% | 6.9% | 8.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.1% | 16.5% | 32.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 10.7% | 10.2% | 19.8% |
| Graduate or professional | 4.4% | 6.3% | 12.6% |
| High School or higher | 83.8% | 83.6% | 91.9% |
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable
Median Earnings
$35,949
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Poverty Rate
4.5%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Outcomes by Education Level
Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
| Salem | Dent County | Missouri | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median earnings | |||
| Population 25+, with earnings | $35,949 | $40,803 | $49,030 |
| Less than high school graduate | $26,811 | $33,015 | $32,024 |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | $25,906 | $36,552 | $38,607 |
| Some college or associate's degree | $35,649 | $36,927 | $44,914 |
| Bachelor's degree | $53,229 | $49,773 | $61,818 |
| Graduate or professional degree | $63,438 | $59,202 | $75,454 |
| Poverty rates | |||
| Less than high school graduate | 22.4% | 20.6% | 26.4% |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 17.4% | 14.4% | 14.4% |
| Some college or associate's degree | 7% | 8.7% | 9.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 4.5% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
About Neilsberg Research
Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.
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