Gresham vs Salem
Gresham, Oregon versus Salem, Oregon: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Gresham and Salem score about the same overall (49 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Gresham | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $69k | $68k |
| Cost of Living | $64k | $55k |
| Home Value | $412k | $350k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.94% | 1.06% |
| Income Tax | 10.66% | 9.90% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 16.21% | 15.41% |
| Unemployment | 5.8% | 6.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 42°F | 42°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 69°F | 69°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 40.7 in | 46.5 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 3.4 in | 1.1 in |
| Sunny Days | 171 days | 206 days |
| Summer Humidity | 54°F | 52°F |
| Comfortable Days | 125 days | 108 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 54.3 | 83.5 |
| Air Quality | 32 AQI | 40 AQI |
| School Quality | 55.4 | 87.0 |
| Violent Crime | 841/100k | 1200/100k |
| Property Crime | 2955/100k | 3637/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 113,525 | 175,754 |
| Median Age | 37.3 | 35.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.46 | 0.46 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.01 | 1.03 |
| Political Leaning | D+63 | Even |
| White (%) | 62.2% | 65.2% |
| Black (%) | 3.4% | 1.3% |
| Hispanic (%) | 21.5% | 22.8% |
| Asian (%) | 5.3% | 3.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.6% | 7.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 27 min | 23 min |
| Walkability | 15.1/20 | 16.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 10 mi | 50 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 90.0% | 90.9% |
| Amenities Nearby | 33.56 | 29.25 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Good |
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 Gresham or Salem more affordable?
- Salem has the lower cost of living: its index is $55k, compared with Gresham's $64k and Salem's $55k. Median rent is $1k in Gresham versus $1k in Salem.
- Is Gresham or Salem safer?
- Gresham has the lower violent crime rate. Gresham reports 841/100k and Salem reports 1200/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Gresham or Salem?
- The median home value is $412k in Gresham and $350k in Salem, so homes are more affordable in Salem.