Lawrence vs Salem
Lawrence, Massachusetts versus Salem, Massachusetts: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Lawrence and Salem score about the same overall (46 vs 46 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Lawrence | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $54k | $79k |
| Cost of Living | $63k | $63k |
| Home Value | $371k | $464k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.88% | 1.28% |
| Income Tax | 9.00% | 9.00% |
| Sales Tax | 6.25% | 6.25% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 17.14% | 18.57% |
| Unemployment | 10.4% | 5.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 27°F | 28°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 73°F | 73°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 49.3 in | 48.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 57.8 in | 39.1 in |
| Sunny Days | 230 days | 181 days |
| Summer Humidity | 60°F | 62°F |
| Comfortable Days | 94 days | 97 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 64.2 | 25.3 |
| Air Quality | 43 AQI | 44 AQI |
| School Quality | 99.9 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1273/100k | 1482/100k |
| Property Crime | 904/100k | 1182/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 88,067 | 44,541 |
| Median Age | 31.5 | 38.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.64 | 0.40 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 0.83 |
| Political Leaning | D+30 | D+30 |
| White (%) | 13.0% | 68.8% |
| Black (%) | 2.0% | 4.8% |
| Hispanic (%) | 82.0% | 19.0% |
| Asian (%) | 1.9% | 3.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 1.1% | 4.4% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 23 min | 31 min |
| Walkability | 15.8/20 | 15.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 24 mi | 13 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 80.7% | 90.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 22.82 | 77.91 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Lawrence or Salem more affordable?
- Salem has the lower cost of living: its index is $63k, compared with Lawrence's $63k and Salem's $63k. Median rent is $2k in Lawrence versus $2k in Salem.
- Is Lawrence or Salem safer?
- Lawrence has the lower violent crime rate. Lawrence reports 1273/100k and Salem reports 1482/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Lawrence or Salem?
- The median home value is $371k in Lawrence and $464k in Salem, so homes are more affordable in Lawrence.