Salem County, New Jersey Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Salem County, NJ Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageAmong the 3 least healthy counties in New Jersey
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B
Income Around averageLess wealthy than 75% of counties in New Jersey
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D
Education Well below averageAmong the 3 least educated counties in New Jersey
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Salem County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 65,196 | 9,334,304 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 175.1 | 1071.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.13% | 0.59% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.8 | 40.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 24,826 | 3,503,323 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Salem County declined by 1.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 65,196 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Salem County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.4% of residents. That is about the same share as New Jersey.
- Gen Z 13–28 12,470 19.1% -1.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 13,082 20.1% -1.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 13,930 21.4% on par
- Boomers 61–79 12,546 19.2% +2.4 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below New Jersey, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.8% of the people living in Salem County and men 49.2%.
- Women 50.8% New Jersey 50.9%
- Men 49.2% New Jersey 49.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Salem County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Salem County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Salem County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $82,265 | $103,817 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.79% | 4.37% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.4% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Salem County is about 21% lower than in New Jersey.
Housing
| Metric | Salem County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $146,481 | $352,792 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,253 | $1,719 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.0% | 63.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Salem County is about 9.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,253 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Salem County spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 194 hours, about 8.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Salem County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.3 | 26.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.6 | 52.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 194 | 218 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,014 | $6,764 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.5% | 16.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,290 | 14,317 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,027 | 2,109 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
New Jersey:
Cape May County (18.1 min), Cumberland County (21.2 min), Atlantic County (21.6 min).
Slowest:
Hudson County (32.7 min), Sussex County (32.6 min), Hunterdon County (31.0 min).
The average commute time in Salem County is 23 minutes, shorter than the 26 minutes in New Jersey.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Salem County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Salem County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.8% | 39.6% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.57 | 2.61 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
New Jersey:
Somerset County (0.4), Morris County (0.4), Hunterdon County (0.4).
Lowest:
Cumberland County (0.2), Salem County (0.2), Passaic County (0.3).
Health
Salem County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Salem County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.0 | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.7% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.4% | 14.2% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
New Jersey:
Morris County (0.8), Hunterdon County (0.8), Somerset County (0.8).
Lowest:
Cumberland County (0.8), Salem County (0.8), Passaic County (0.8).
Salem County, NJ Compared With Nearby Counties
Salem County, NJ is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 65,196 residents against a local median of 526,561. Salem County, NJ's median home price, at $146,481, runs 25% below the $194,369 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $61,389 on median home price, so Salem County, NJ sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Salem County, NJ has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem County, NJ | 65,196 | $82,265 #5/6 | $146,481 #6/6 | 23.3 min #3/6 |
| Gloucester County, NJ | 306,962 | $105,231 | $186,863 | 25.7 min |
| New Castle County, DE | 577,338 | $91,590 | $220,844 | 21.9 min |
| Cumberland County, NJ | 153,308 | $68,265 | $178,114 | 21.2 min |
| Delaware County, PA | 578,234 | $90,232 | $194,369 | 26.1 min |
| Camden County, NJ | 526,561 | $89,385 | $239,503 | 23.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Salem County, New Jersey.
What is the population of Salem County, New Jersey?
About 65,196 people live in Salem County, New Jersey, in 24,826 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 42.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Salem County, New Jersey mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Salem County, New Jersey has 175 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.0 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Salem County, New Jersey?
The median home costs 1.8 times the median household income ($146,481 against $82,265), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,253 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Salem County, New Jersey?
Unemployment in Salem County, New Jersey is 7.4%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Salem County, New Jersey?
21.8% of adults in Salem County, New Jersey hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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