Living in Salem, NH
Suburb in New Hampshire
Salem is a suburb in New Hampshire, home to about 31,000 people, with 2.1 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a moderate pace, and homes are mostly houses.
Is Salem a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Safe: violent crime is 0.2× the US rate (FBI 2019)
- Strong healthcare: 9 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Mild summers: highs around 81°F
- Easy flying: BOS is 32 mi away
👎 Cons
- Cloudier than most places
- Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $601k, and rent is $2,720 a month
- Fewer family amenities than most places
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 $601k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,720 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?
New Hampshire collects about $66 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.57% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Salem safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.2× in FBI 2019 data).
How are the schools in Salem?
Public schools in Salem test above the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 12 students per teacher.
What is the weather like in Salem?
Salem has cold winters: winter days average around 38°F and summer days around 81°F, with roughly 58″ of snow a year.
Does Salem get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding: 15 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.28 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Salem?
The nearest major airport is BOS, about 32 mi away.
How Salem scores
Each bar compares Salem with the other 1,990 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 24 aspects.
The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).
Nearby
See all the best places to live in New Hampshire.
Is Salem right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.