Salem, MA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Massachusetts·Salem

Essex County · Boston-Cambridge-Newton · population 45,677

Image: Wikipedia · Salem, Massachusetts

Overview Cost of living Moving guide

View watchlist →

Rising

Momentum score · 0–100

Where Salem stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $609,737

1-year +0.5%

5-yr CAGR +4.7%

vs 5-yr peak -0.2%

Population +0.7%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly

Lifestyle scores

🚶

Walkability

32/100

Very car-dependent

Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.

🚉

Public transit

22/100

Transit limited

Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.

💻

Remote work fit

70/100

Strong remote-work fit

Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 19.4

Lean buy

At a 19.4 price-to-rent ratio, Salem is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →

Home YoY

53 · w22%

Home 5-yr CAGR

63 · w22%

Distance from peak

89 · w18%

Population growth

58 · w16%

Rent YoY

51 · w12%

Home 10-yr CAGR

70 · w10%

Long thesis

Salem has held up across the cycle: home values at $609,737 with +4.7% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Salem's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Salem

Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, with an estimated population of 45,677. It anchors the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro area. The population grew 0.7% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Salem is $609,737 as of 2026-04, up 0.5% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.7% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Salem average $2,624 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+0.9%). The composite momentum score is 64 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Held the highs: currently -0.2% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

○The data is the data: Salem has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 2-criteria momentum score on this page.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Salem (Wikipedia)

Salem is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem was one of the most significant seaports trading commodities in early American history. Prior to the dissolution of county governments in Massachusetts in 1999, it served as one of two county seats for Essex County, alongside Lawrence.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Essex County right now.

NWS active alerts (MA)Massachusetts Emergency Management How to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Essex County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Salem

2 tracked · ranked by median home value

1Mack Park$596,435+4.6%

2Federal Street$584,197+0.1%

Cities like Salem

Peabody, MA61 · Stable Marlborough, MA63 · Rising Lynn, MA65 · Rising Framingham, MA59 · Stable

Run the numbers for Salem

ToolCan I afford Salem?Income → city shortlist ToolROI on a Salem rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCR ToolCompare Salem to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 cities ToolSalem cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)

35° / 21°

avg high / low

Summer (Jul)

81° / 64°

avg high / low

Sunny days/yr

200

~55% of year

Annual precip

48″ rain

43″ snow

Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)

Hurricane

Moderate

Tornado

Low

Wildfire

Very low

Earthquake

Very low

Flood

Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Boston-Cambridge-Newton area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

NFLNew England Patriots →

NBABoston Celtics →

MLBBoston Red Sox →

NHLBoston Bruins →

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Salem listings on the major real-estate sites.

For rent

Zillow rentals → Apartments.com → Trulia rentals →

For sale

Zillow for sale → Realtor.com →

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Latest news

Keeping Cool in Extreme Heat
Salem, MA (.gov) · 2d ago
Salem Schools Awarded $13K For Summer Eats Program
Patch · 12h ago
‘It was horrifying’: Duck recovering after being found with arrow through bill
KKTV · 3d ago
Senior Four-Ball: Two Teams Share 18-Hole Lead With 66 At Kernwood Country Club
Mass Golf · 2d ago
Salem Skipper will cease operation Aug. 2 due to expiring grant funding
Salem News · 18h ago
Things to Do in Salem in May ✨
Destination Salem · 3w ago

Local economy & environment

Humidity

70%

Humid climate

Median household income

$96,500

Massachusetts state median

Top industries (state-level)

TechBiotechEducation/Healthcare

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.