Massachusetts Living Index
Salem
North Shore · pop. 44,480
A walkable, ferry-served port city with the state's most distinctive cultural identity.
Urban WalkerCity LifeHistoric Village
Livability Index
74
/ 100
Ranks #8 of 194 MA towns
The numbers
Median home
$680k
8.1× household income
Household income
$84k
ACS median
Commute to Boston
35 min
peak driving
Population
44,480
5-yr trend 82/100
How Salem scores
Schools
76
Safety
78
Walkability
70
Transit
32
Biking
54
Dining
82
Nightlife
80
Arts & Culture
88
Green Space
56
Diversity
78
Climate
74
The honest read
Best for
Creatives and culture-seekers who want a real downtown.
The tradeoff
Schools improving but still mid-tier.
Compare on your terms
These scores reflect a neutral weighting. Your priorities are not neutral. Open the full atlas to tune schools, walkability, affordability, commute, and seven more dimensions, and see where Salem lands for you.
Nearby towns
Bordering and adjacent Massachusetts towns near Salem.
Popular comparisons
Common head‑to‑heads people search when looking at Salem.
Want my honest read on Salem?
I'm Gary Fikes, a licensed real estate agent at MP Signature Realty and the curator of this site. Tell me what you're looking for and I'll reply personally within 1 business day. No auto-dialer, no spam, no resale.