Salem city, Virginia Housing Market

In Salem city, Virginia, the median home value is $258,600, with a median monthly rent of $1,133. This places Salem city at #843 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #67 within Virginia.

Median Home Value $258,600
Median Rent $1,133/mo
Owner Occupancy 62.8%
Price/Rent Ratio 19.0

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

📊 Recent Market Momentum (FHFA HPI)

FHFA House Price Index — All-Transactions, Annual (2000 = 100) · Latest: 2025

💡 Year-over-Year Trend: Home prices in Salem city rose +3.2% year-over-year as of 2025. (Source: FHFA)

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

16,587
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $1,205
  • Establishments: 1,072
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

17
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 17
  • Multi-family: 0
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+745
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 10,579 (avg $76,438)
  • Outflow: 9,834 (avg $77,329)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Salem city Compares

MetricSalem cityVirginia AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $258,600 $295,807 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $1,133 $1,169 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 62.8% 70.8% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 19.0 20.3 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Salem city is 12.6% below the Virginia state average and 13.6% above the U.S. national average. The median rent of $1,133/month is 3.1% below the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 19.0, the buy-vs-rent decision in Salem city is balanced. Whether buying or renting makes more sense depends on your time horizon, down payment capacity, and local market conditions.

Salem city has an owner-occupancy rate of 62.8%, compared to 70.8% in Virginia and 73.3% nationally. This indicates a more renter-heavy market than the U.S. average.

Similar Counties by Home Value

CountyStateMedian Home ValueMedian Rent
Sauk County Wisconsin $258,600 $1,018
Story County Iowa $258,700 $1,018
Butler County Ohio $258,500 $1,135
Rensselaer County New York $258,400 $1,217
Wakulla County Florida $258,300 $1,108

Other Counties in Virginia

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Staunton city $259,200 $1,024 60.9%
Dinwiddie County $257,800 $1,224 79.6%
Franklin city $256,600 $988 53.9%
Newport News city $260,600 $1,339 48.2%
Rockbridge County $248,800 $925 79.3%

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 5-Year Estimates (2017–2024). Variables: B25077 (Median Home Value), B25064 (Median Gross Rent), B25003 (Tenure). Data collected on 2026-10-14. The price-to-rent ratio is calculated as Median Home Value ÷ (Median Monthly Rent × 12).