Salem, Georgia Population and Demographics

Published: October 1, 2020 4:11 pm

Population, Race and Ethnicity

Salem is a Census-designated place in Upson County, Georgia, with a population of 407. According to the most recent estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2.50% of residents identify as white, 97.50% as Black or African American, 0.00% as American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.00% as Asian, 0.00% as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 0.00% as Hispanic or Latino, and 0.00% as some other race or combination of races.

Nationally, some 61.1% of Americans identify as white, 12.3% as Black or African American, 0.7% as American Indian or Alaska Native, 5.4% as Asian, 0.2% as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 17.8% as Hispanic or Latino, and 2.6% as some other race or combination of races.

Age

The population of Salem is older than the United States as a whole. The median age is 58.1 years, 20.2 years more than the national median age of 37.9 years. An estimated 15.20% of the population is 65 years and over, compared to 15.2% of the U.S. population.

Family and household composition

Family and household composition also varies heavily across the United States. In Salem, 44.40% of households are occupied by married-couple families, compared to the 48.3% national figure. Some 16.60% of households are occupied by single male householders, 13.90% by single female householders, and 25.20% by non-family occupants. Nationwide, 4.9% of households are occupied by single male householders, 12.6% by single female householders, and 34.3% by non-family occupants. An estimated 77.50% of heads of household own their homes, compared to the national homeownership rate of 63.8%.

Language spoken

English is by far the most commonly spoken language in Georgia and across the U.S. as a whole. Similarly, in Salem, 100% of local residents aged 5 and up speak English exclusively, or, if they are multilingual, speak English very well. For context, 94.5% of the 5 and older population across Georgia only speaks English, or speak it very well, and 91.5% of the same age group nationwide do.

Marital status

Residents of Salem are less likely than the typical American to be married. Of all local residents aged 15 and older, 40.2% are currently married, compared to 48.1% of Americans nationwide in the same age group. Across Georgia as a whole, 46.9% of residents 15 and older are married.

Divorce is less common in Salem than it is across the U.S. as a whole. According to Census estimates, 7.6% of residents 15 and older are divorced — compared to 10.8% of the U.S. population in the same age group. In Georgia, 11.2% of the 15 and older population is divorced.

An estimated 37.6% of Salem residents 15 and older have never married, compared to one-third of all Americans in the same age group.

Veterans

In Salem, 2.3% of the 18 and older civilian population are veterans — compared to 7.5% of adult civilians nationwide and 8.2% of the civilian population in all of Georgia.

Educational attainment

In Salem, adults are less likely to have a high school education than the typical American adult, and are less likely to have a four-year college education. Among Salem residents 25 and older, 69.60% have a high school diploma or equivalent, and 5.40% have a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 87.7% and 31.5% of adults nationwide, respectively. Across Georgia, 86.7% of adults have graduated high school, and 30.7 have a bachelor’s degree.

Income

The typical household in Salem earns $27,917 a year, about $32,400 less than the national median of $60,293 and $27,800 less than the median household income across the state of $55,679.

Poverty

Serious financial hardship is less common in Salem than it is nationwide. The local poverty rate stands at 11.70%, while the national poverty rate is 14.1%. Across the state as a whole, 16% of the population lives below the poverty line.