† Citizen voting-age population estimated for prior cycles; 2004 predates the ACS and is extrapolated. Source: ACS 5-year, table B05003.
——
D+60R+60
20042024
Boundary by 2024 margin · Precinct returns · VEST · MIT Election Lab
People and households
Who lives here
Exact values for this place, its state, and the United States.
Race · ethnicity · ancestry
Communities and origins
GroupSalemOregonUnited States
German17.3%16.3%12.5%
English12.9%14.1%9.5%
Irish9.3%11.1%9.4%
American3.6%4.3%5.3%
Norwegian3.0%3.1%—
Italian2.9%3.5%4.8%
Scottish2.9%3.0%1.3%
French2.2%2.1%1.6%
Mexican22.2%11.5%11.3%
Guatemalan0.6%0.4%0.5%
Salvadoran0.4%0.2%0.7%
Spaniard0.4%0.4%—
Puerto Rican0.3%0.4%1.8%
Spanish0.3%0.4%—
Cuban0.2%0.2%0.7%
Chinese0.9%0.9%1.3%
Filipino0.7%0.5%0.9%
Asian Indian0.5%0.7%1.4%
Vietnamese0.5%0.7%0.6%
Korean0.4%0.4%0.4%
Aztec1.4%——
Marshallese1.4%——
African American†1.2%1.2%9.9%
African0.3%—0.5%
Hispanic or Latino counts residents of any race; the race groups count only their non-Hispanic residents, so the groups are mutually exclusive and sum to 100%. Expand a row to see ancestries reported within that group.
Age and life stage
Measure
Salem
Oregon
United States
Median age
36
40.6
39.1
Age 18–24
9.9%
8.5%
9.2%
Age 65 and older
15.8%
18.9%
17.2%
Household economy
Measure
Salem
Oregon
United States
Median household income
$75,487
$83,011
$84,427
Poverty rate
14.4%
12.0%
12.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher (25+)
31.5%
36.7%
35.6%
Languages at home
Measure
Salem
Oregon
United States
Speaks a non-English language at home
23.5%
15.3%
22.3%
Spanish
17.3%
9.0%
13.6%
Russian, Polish, or other Slavic
1.1%
0.8%
0.7%
Other Asian & Pacific Island
1.7%
1.1%
1.1%
Religious landscape
Measure
Salem
Oregon
United States
Catholic
—
11.3%
18.6%
Evangelical Protestant
—
12.8%
16.5%
Unclaimed / not counted
—
66.9%
51.5%
American Community Survey 2024 5-year (CVAP, income, age, poverty, education, language, race, ancestry) · presidential returns from MIT Election Lab through 2024 · 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB) — congregational adherents; unclaimed is the residual not counted by congregations.
Salem, Oregon
presidential history
Presidential margin, 2004–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
Presidential margin over time
Year
Margin (D minus R)
2004
+2.2%
2008
+13.6%
2012
+8.9%
2016
+10.5%
2020
+17.9%
2024
+17.0%
DemocraticRepublican
6 presidential elections
Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024). Swing · margin change from the prior cycle. vs U.S. · margin relative to the national result that year. Third-party votes in 2012 are allocated from certified county totals by this place's share of each county's two-party vote — that cycle's precinct source records two-party splits. † 2004 sub-county results are estimated: the source's block-level detail for this cycle was unreliable — either county/municipality-level consolidated reporting (COVID-era) or a precinct-to-block allocation that misplaced votes — so the figures are allocated from the constituent county totals in proportion to the place and scaled to certified totals.
Year
Won
Democratic
Republican
Other
Margin
Swing
vs U.S.
Total
D
56.6%Harris44,672
39.6%Trump31,232
3.7%
D+17.0
R+0.9
D+18.5
78,858
D
57.1%Biden47,824
39.2%Trump32,812
3.8%
D+17.9
D+7.4
D+13.5
83,806
D
49.1%Clinton33,905
38.6%Trump26,653
12.3%
D+10.5
D+1.6
D+8.4
69,061
D
52.9%Obama31,844
43.9%Romney26,459
3.2%
D+8.9
R+4.6
D+5.1
60,219
D
55.7%Obama34,701
42.1%McCain26,252
2.2%
D+13.6
D+11.4
D+6.3
62,298
D
50.2%Kerry32,008
48.1%Bush30,633
1.7%
D+2.2
—
D+4.6
63,727
Salem blends a sizable Latino population, a substantial state-government workforce, and surrounding Marion County's competitive suburban margins — a mix that makes it a consistent bellwether for statewide ballot measures.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 17.9 points in 2020. Between 2020 and 2024 the city moved 0.9 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 17.0 points.
A population of 178,865, a 64% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $75,487 describe the city. The city's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Vancouver and Topeka.
Akashic
Political twins — cities
The cities whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
In 2024, Salem, Oregon voted Democratic by 17.0 points (D+17.0), carried by the Democratic candidate. Out of 78,858 votes cast, 44,672 went Democratic and 31,232 went Republican.
How many people live in Salem, Oregon?
Salem, Oregon has a population of 178,865 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Salem, Oregon?
Median household income in Salem, Oregon is $75,487 — below the national median of $80,734. The Oregon state median is $83,011.
What is the political history of Salem, Oregon?
Akashic tracks 6 presidential elections in Salem, Oregon from 2004 to 2024. Of those, 6 went Democratic and 0 went Republican.
