Salem County, New Jersey

NJ · FIPS 34033 Republican

Located in New Jersey, Salem County has a population of 65,275 residents and a median age of 41.9 years, making it the #843 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.7%. The median home value is $239,500, and the median household income is $79,960, which is 6% above the national median.

65,275
Population
#843 of 3,222
$79,960
Median Income
+6.4% #586 of 3,222
41.9 years
Median Age
+7.7% #1,532 of 3,222
12.7%
Poverty Rate
+0.6% #1,441 of 3,222

Demographics

Salem County has a population of 65,275, making it the #843 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.9 years, which is 7.7% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.0%
Native Born
3.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Salem County is $79,960, ranking #586 out of 3,222 counties — 6.4% above the national median. The poverty rate is 12.7% and unemployment stands at 7.4%.

Income#586
$79,960
+6.4%
vs nation
82th percentile
Per Capita#790
$40,283
-2.4%
vs nation
76th percentile
Poverty#1,441
12.7%
+0.6%
vs nation
55th percentile
Unemployment#2,870
7.4%
+39.7%
vs nation
11th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Salem County is $239,500 (-15.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,253/mo and the homeownership rate is 71.0%.

Home Value#991
$239,500
-15.0%
vs nation
69th percentile
Rent#472
$1,253
+7.7%
vs nation
85th percentile
Homeownership#2,166
71.0%
+10.2%
vs nation
33th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Salem County, 25.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 25.9% below the national average, ranking #1,229 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
25.0% −25.9% vs nation
Rank #1,229 of 3,222
62th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Salem County is 73.8 years. 15.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,007
73.8
-1.9%
vs nation
35th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#568
15.1%
-22.8%
vs nation
82th percentile
Diabetes#419
8.8%
-20.9%
vs nation
87th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,779
42.0%
+12.6%
vs nation
12th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,285
6.0
+6.0%
vs nation
27th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,222
4.2
-5.1%
vs nation
61th percentile
Uninsured Rate#597
6.4%
-38.5%
vs nation
81th percentile
Physical Inactivity#578
21.7%
-17.7%
vs nation
82th percentile
Food Insecurity#841
12.1%
-16.0%
vs nation
73th percentile

Substance Use

13.1% of adults in Salem County smoke , 36.3% are obese , and 19.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 48.8 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#308
13.1%
-27.0%
vs nation
90th percentile
Adult Obesity#981
36.3%
-4.2%
vs nation
69th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,312
19.4%
-2.6%
vs nation
58th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,800
48.8
+50.9%
vs nation
15th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Salem County is 10.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 9.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 18.3 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,187
10.4
+29.5%
vs nation
23th percentile
Suicide Rate#79
9.1
-53.7%
vs nation
97th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#593
12.0
-33.1%
vs nation
76th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,384
18.3
-9.9%
vs nation
51th percentile

Families & Children

15.0% of children in Salem County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 17.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#818
7.0
+2.5%
vs nation
40th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,155
17.1
-21.9%
vs nation
62th percentile
Child Poverty#1,102
15.0%
-21.0%
vs nation
65th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Salem County is 70.0%. The mean commute time is 29.1 min, which is 5.3% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
70.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
29.1 min +5.3% vs nation
Rank #1,033 of 3,222
68th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Salem County voted Republican with a margin of 19.2%. The vote was 39.6% Dem / 58.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +19.2%
39.6% 58.8%
Dem 31,001 votes Rep
2020 REP +12.8%
42.5% 55.3%
Dem 34,042 votes Rep
2016 REP +15.3%
40.3% 55.6%
Dem 29,220 votes Rep
2012 DEM +0.8%
49.6% 48.8%
Dem 29,116 votes Rep
2008 DEM +4.0%
51.2% 47.2%
Dem 31,363 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Salem County, New Jersey

Salem County, New Jersey has a total population of 65,275, making it the 843rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Salem County is 41.9 years, which is 7.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Salem County is $79,960, which ranks #586 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 6.4% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 7.4%.

The median home value in Salem County is $239,500, 15.0% below the national median. Renters in Salem County pay a median gross rent of $1,253 per month. The homeownership rate is 71.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Salem County, 25.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 25.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 29.1 min.

Salem County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 70.2% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (13.2%) and Hispanic or Latino (11.3%).

All data for Salem County, New Jersey comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.