Humid subtropical
Salem, Virginia
Salem County, Virginia · Population 25k · 1,070 ft elevation
Living in Salem
Salem has a humid subtropical climate: hot summers (July highs around 88°F) and chilly winters (January lows around 29°F).
Precipitation is wet at about 43″ a year, and it gets light snow (15″ a season).
Skies are sunny (63% of possible sunshine). Summers get sticky, with about 30 muggy days a year.
Air quality is good: a median AQI of 36, with about 3 unhealthy-air days in the latest year.
There is plenty to explore outdoors around Salem: about 17% of the land within 30 miles is public (parks, national forest and the like), and the terrain rises and falls about 2,000 ft around town.
Salem at a glance
- Population
- 25k
- Elevation
- 1,070 ft
- Average daily high
- 69°F60th percentile
- Average daily low
- 48°F62th percentile
- Annual precipitation
- 43″49th percentile
- Annual snowfall
- 15″52th percentile
- Sunshine hours per year
- 2,792 hrs48th percentile
- Median AQI
- 3616th percentile
- Median home value
- $245k46th percentile
- Median rent
- $1,046/mo38th percentile
- Median household income
- $67k39th percentile
- Property tax rate
- 0.91%45th percentile
- Top state income-tax rate
- 5.8%
- Sales tax (state + local)
- 5.8%
- Unemployment rate
- 3.4%
- Homes with broadband
- 90%43th percentile
- Walkability index
- 10.368th percentile
- Average commute
- 19 min
- Math proficiency (8th grade)
- 80%92th percentile
- Reading proficiency (8th grade)
- 78%
- Violent crime rate
- 153 per 100k45th percentile
- Property crime rate
- 1,187 per 100k
- Overall natural-hazard risk
- 192th percentile
- Outdoor access
- 8988th percentile
- Public land within 10 miles
- 15%
- Public land within 30 miles
- 17%
- Mountain relief within 30 miles
- 2,034 ft
Climate by month
| Month | High | Low | Precipitation | Snow | Sunshine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°F | 29°F | 3.2″ | 4.3″ | 178 hrs |
| Feb | 51°F | 31°F | 2.9″ | 4.8″ | 173 hrs |
| Mar | 59°F | 38°F | 3.5″ | 2.3″ | 217 hrs |
| Apr | 70°F | 47°F | 3.5″ | 0.1″ | 243 hrs |
| May | 78°F | 55°F | 4.3″ | — | 268 hrs |
| Jun | 85°F | 64°F | 4.7″ | — | 299 hrs |
| Jul | 88°F | 68°F | 4.3″ | — | 305 hrs |
| Aug | 87°F | 66°F | 3.4″ | — | 282 hrs |
| Sep | 80°F | 59°F | 4.1″ | — | 237 hrs |
| Oct | 70°F | 48°F | 3.0″ | — | 220 hrs |
| Nov | 59°F | 38°F | 3.0″ | 0.1″ | 199 hrs |
| Dec | 50°F | 32°F | 3.1″ | 3.2″ | 172 hrs |
Near Salem
- Cave Spring, VA · 26k
- Roanoke, VA · 99k
- Hollins, VA · 17k
- Vinton, VA · 8k
- Cloverdale, VA · 3.1k
- Daleville, VA · 3.2k
- Blue Ridge, VA · 3.1k
- Blacksburg, VA · 45k
Largest places in Virginia
- Virginia Beach, VA · 457k
- Chesapeake, VA · 251k
- Arlington, VA · 235k
- Norfolk, VA · 235k
- Richmond, VA · 228k
- Newport News, VA · 185k
- Alexandria, VA · 157k
- Hampton, VA · 137k
Sources: NOAA climate normals, NASA POWER, EPA air quality, U.S. Census Bureau, FEMA, FBI, EPA walkability and EDFacts. Methodology