Polk County · Oregon · West · 179k residents
Salem, OR: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Salem: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Oregon median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,044/wk. Oregon's corporate income tax rate is 7.6%. Commercial electricity averages 10.1¢/kWh.
Compare Salem side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,044/wk
Corporate income tax
7.6%
Bachelor's degree or higher
31.5%
Commercial electricity
10.1¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Salem's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
18/100
Cooling
Ranks Salem's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $416,900 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $300 |
| Property tax rate | 0.93% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,067/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,415/mo |
| State & local income tax | 7.48% |
| Sales tax | 0% |
| Corporate income tax | 7.6% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,044/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.5% |
| Commercial electricity | 10.1¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 24.8/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $131,620 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $131,750 |
| Wage: General manager | $114,430 |
| Wage: Customer service | $47,790 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $41,520 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $60,580 |
| Wage: Electrician | $98,850 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $35,760 |
| Cost of living index | 106 |
| Groceries index | 105 |
| Utilities | $165/mo |
| Transit pass | $100/mo |
| Gas price | $3.85/gal |
| Healthcare index | 104 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,350/mo |
| Median household income | $75,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% |
| Population | 179k |
| Crime index | 50/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 |
| Walkability | 38/100 |
| Disaster risk | 73/100 |
| Avg. commute | 24 min |
| Sunny days / year | 160 days |
| July high | 84°F |
| January low | 36°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | +0.4% |
| Home price MoM | -0.2% |
| Rent YoY | +0.1% |
| Rent MoM | -0.1% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | -3.5% |
| Building permits YoY | -14.0% |
| Ocean coast | 46 mi |
| Big lake | 295 mi |
| Mountains | 66 mi |
| Major airport | 49 mi |
| Ski resort | 71 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Keizer, OR · 39k
- Hayesville, OR · 21k
- Four Corners, OR · 16k
- Dallas, OR · 18k
- Woodburn, OR · 28k
Similar size
- Eugene, OR · 180k
- Gresham, OR · 112k
- Hillsboro, OR · 108k
- Bend, OR · 103k
- Beaverton, OR · 98k
Real listings in Salem
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Salem a good place to run a business?
- Oregon's corporate income tax rate is 7.6%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,044/wk; commercial electricity averages 10.1¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Salem, OR?
- Salem indexes at 106 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,415/mo and a acs median home value of $416,900.
- How much does a house cost in Salem?
- The acs median home value in Salem is $416,900 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Salem?
- A two-bedroom in Salem rents for about $1,415/mo.