Living in Salem, MA
Small city in Massachusetts
Salem is a small city in Massachusetts, home to about 44,000 people, with 3.2 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, you can walk or take transit almost everywhere. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Salem a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 12 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Mild summers: highs around 78°F
- Easy flying: BOS is 11 mi away
- Highly educated: 50% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, and 9 research universities are within 31 mi
👎 Cons
- Higher taxes: about $3,502 state income tax per resident, 1.21% property tax
- Cloudier than most places
- Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $660k, and rent is $3,530 a month
- Few dog parks: 16 within 9 mi
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Salem ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Salem: common questions
What is the cost of living in Salem?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $660k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $3,530 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 108, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Salem?
Massachusetts collects about $3,502 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.21% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Salem safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.7× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Salem?
Salem has cold winters: winter days average around 39°F and summer days around 78°F, with roughly 39″ of snow a year.
Does Salem get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding, earthquakes and hurricanes: 12 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.19 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Salem?
The nearest major airport is BOS, about 11 mi away.
How Salem scores
Each bar compares Salem with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
Places like Salem
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 23 aspects.
Nearby
See all the best places to live in Massachusetts.
Is Salem right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.