Cost of Living in Salem, Oregon
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Salem, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 181,779
- Median household income
- $79,638
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 103.6
- Unemployment rate
- 6.4%
Is Salem a good place to live?
Salem sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 117 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job.
A typical worker in Salem keeps $8,738 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living4% above the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,267 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$3,620 of state income tax on a typical wage
Cost of living in Salem
Prices in the Salem, OR area run 4% above the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 10% above the US average.
- Housing10% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)5% above the US average
- Utilities5% above the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)About the same as the US average
- All items4% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,267 | $15,204 |
| Food | $520 | $6,240 |
| Transportation | $411 | $4,932 |
| Healthcare | $353 | $4,236 |
| Utilities | $273 | $3,276 |
| Total before taxes | $2,824 | $33,888 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Salem | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,254 | $1,285 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,267 | $1,294 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,651 | $1,692 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,285 | $2,341 |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,502 | $2,564 |
Living in Salem
How Salem compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Salem | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $79,638 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $433,000 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,507 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 45.9% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 30.8% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 37.9 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 23.2 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 15.8% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 1.6% | 3.7% |
The 1-year survey doesn’t publish commuting method for Salem, so those figures come from the 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Home internet
6 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Salem, led by Xfinity, T-Mobile, CenturyLink, Verizon. Fiber reaches 23% of homes and 72.1% can get gigabit speeds.
Pros and cons of living in Salem
Pros
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 23.2 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
Cons
- Higher unemployment. Unemployment is 6.4%, against 4.6% nationally (ACS 2024 1-year).
- Higher state income tax. $3,620 on a typical wage of $55,310, or 6.5%.
- Higher cost of living. Prices are 4% above the US average (BEA, 2024).
What your job keeps in Salem
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $55,310
- Federal income tax
- −$4,457
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,618
- State income tax
- −$3,620
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$15,204
- Everyday costs
- −$18,673
a year, or $728 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Salem, OR. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Salem, OR area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse | $131,750 | $56,071 |
| Project manager | $102,730 | $38,854 |
| Electrician | $98,850 | $36,748 |
| Accountant | $87,480 | $29,823 |
| Teacher | $76,705 | $23,200 |
| Social worker | $68,642 | $18,134 |
| Truck driver | $60,580 | $12,529 |
| Carpenter | $59,730 | $11,918 |
| Medical assistant | $50,240 | $5,089 |
| Nursing assistant | $48,840 | $4,082 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Salem on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Auto mechanic $10,644
- Civil engineer $46,619
- Data scientist $51,788
- Dental assistant $11,544
- Dental hygienist $48,793
- Dentist $103,823
- Diesel mechanic $13,680
- Financial analyst $43,586
- Firefighter $15,638
- HVAC technician $15,745
- Lawyer $69,564
- Licensed practical nurse $25,018
- Lineman $57,562
- Mechanical engineer $36,236
- Nurse practitioner $73,335
- Occupational therapist $43,099
- Paralegal $10,118
- Paramedic $23,674
- Pharmacist $77,153
- Pharmacy technician $6,507
- Physical therapist $37,431
- Physician assistant $62,738
- Plumber $25,640
- Police officer $27,899
- Radiologic technologist $38,154
- Respiratory therapist $39,848
- Software engineer $55,999
- Speech-language pathologist $38,630
- Veterinarian $55,288
- Welder $10,082
Compare Salem with other cities
Compare Salem with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Salem
1 licensed interstate mover is based in Salem (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Salem, OR a good place to live?
Salem sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 117 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job. The typical worker here earns $55,310 and keeps $8,738 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Salem?
Prices in the Salem, OR area are 4% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,267 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,556 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Salem?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $43,200 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Salem, OR area earns $55,310.
What is the average rent in Salem?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,254 for a studio, $1,267 for a 1-bedroom and $1,651 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Salem at $1,507 a month (2024).
Does Salem have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $55,310, Oregon state income tax comes to about $3,620 a year. Salem has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Salem?
6 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Salem, led by Xfinity, T-Mobile, CenturyLink, Verizon. 23% of homes can get fiber and 72.1% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate