25,908 people (2024 Census estimate, +2.0% since 2020)
15 square miles of land · 1,785 people per square mile
“Highest” and “lowest” are just order, not grades: a high rank for poverty or hazard losses means more of it. Each figure's source is in its section below.
No active community water system lists Salem city in EPA's records — not gathered, never hidden.
About 75 people were held in Salem city's jail, in Vera's latest figure (2024), or 458 per 100,000 residents ages 15–64. In 2019 it was about 100.
Source: Vera Institute of Justice, Incarceration Trends (built from federal Bureau of Justice Statistics jail surveys). Counties without their own jail, or that share one, may show no figure.
1 school district has its office in Salem city. School taxes are usually the largest part of a property tax bill.
Spent $64.5 million — $55.8 million to run schools, about $14,892 per student, plus $8 million on buildings and equipment. Money in: $23.5 million local (mostly property tax), $28.9 million state, $6.6 million federal. Long-term debt: $14.4 million.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 Annual Survey of School System Finances. Districts are listed by the county of their main office; some serve neighboring counties too.
Source: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps 2025 (University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute), which gathers federal data (CDC, Census, and others); measures cover different recent years. Blank lines aren't reported for small counties.
Overall risk: Very Low compared with other U.S. counties. FEMA estimates natural hazards cost Salem city about $9 million a year on average in buildings, crops and lives. Ability to bounce back (community resilience): Relatively High; social vulnerability: Very Low.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), expected annual loss. Ratings compare counties nationwide; they're estimates, not predictions.
17 bridges in Salem city: 6 in good condition, 7 fair, and 4 poor (23.5%). “Poor” means a main part — the deck, the beams, or the supports — is rated 4 or lower on the federal 0–9 scale. It doesn't mean unsafe to drive; unsafe bridges are closed.
| ROUTE 0419 over ROANOKE RIVER · built 1965 | 20,029 vehicles a day |
| ROUTE 0011 over APPERSN DR O ROANOKE RV · built 1940 | 19,916 vehicles a day |
| ROUTE 0419 over ELECTRIC RD · built 1960 | 18,781 vehicles a day |
| ROUTE 0011 over COLORADO ST O NS RWY @ · built 1949 | 14,974 vehicles a day |
Source: Federal Highway Administration, National Bridge Inventory (2025 submission). Includes state, county and city bridges.
Federal grants paid for $6.8 million of work in Salem city in fiscal 2025, about $267 per resident — to the county, cities, schools, hospitals, nonprofits and others.
Source: USAspending.gov, grants by place of performance, fiscal 2025 (Oct. 2024 to Sept. 2025). Search it by county to see each award.
From Grants.gov: posted grants listing county governments as eligible, soonest deadline first; research-only and overseas programs left out; list updated 2026-10-13, refreshed weekly. 62 are open in all. Cities, towns, school districts and nonprofits have their own lists there.
General election: Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Early voting: 2026-09-18 to 2026-10-31. Last day to register to vote: 2026-10-23. Mail ballot request deadline: 2026-10-23. Election Day: 2026-11-03.
Source: Virginia Department of Elections: upcoming elections · Virginia Department of Elections: voter FAQ · Virginia Department of Elections: absentee voting
The budget, property tax rates, audits, local officials and offices for Salem city come from the county's own records, which we haven't gathered — not gathered, never hidden. See what a full county site looks like, or ask to have Salem city built: brayden.ozark@gmail.com.
More of Virginia: the state government and every county in Virginia.
Nearby counties: Roanoke city (5 mi) · Roanoke County (8 mi) · Craig County (16 mi) · Montgomery County (20 mi) · Franklin County (22 mi) · Botetourt County (24 mi).