Fairfax city vs Salem city
A side-by-side comparison of Fairfax city and Salem city: population, income, housing, and more.
Fairfax city and Salem city are counties in Virginia. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Salem city has the higher population (25,477 vs 24,478 in Fairfax city). Fairfax city has the higher median household income ($132,774 vs $66,716 in Salem city). Fairfax city has the higher median home value ($677,400 vs $244,800 in Salem city).
Population, income & housing
| Fairfax city | Salem city | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,478 | 25,477 |
| Median age | 37.3 yrs | 40.3 yrs |
| Median household income | $132,774 | $66,716 |
| Median home value | $677,400 | $244,800 |
| Median gross rent | $2,122 | $1,046 |
| Housing units | 9,317 | 11,096 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.3% | 63.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 62.3% | 31.1% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 3.4% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Fairfax city | Salem city | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 23,531 → 24,478 (+4.0%) | 25,317 → 25,477 (+0.6%) |
| Median household income | $116,979 → $132,774 (+13.5%) | $57,165 → $66,716 (+16.7%) |
| Median home value | $560,400 → $677,400 (+20.9%) | $181,900 → $244,800 (+34.6%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,834 → $2,122 (+15.7%) | $913 → $1,046 (+14.6%) |
Fairfax city
23,53124,478
$116,979$132,774
$560,400$677,400
$1,834$2,122
Salem city
25,31725,477
$57,165$66,716
$181,900$244,800
$913$1,046
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Fairfax city | Salem city | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 7.7% | 4.1% |
| 5 to 17 | 16.4% | 14.9% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.7% | 13.3% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.0% | 11.2% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.1% | 11.8% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.1% | 11.9% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.7% | 11.2% |
| 75 and over | 5.5% | 8.3% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Fairfax city | Salem city | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 52.5% | 82.4% |
| Black or African American | 6.4% | 7.7% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 18.1% | 1.9% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 0.7% | 0.9% |
| Two or more races | 4.0% | 2.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 18.3% | 4.5% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Fairfax city | Salem city | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 8.2% | 5.8% |
| High school graduate | 13.0% | 28.5% |
| Some college or associate's | 16.5% | 34.5% |
| Bachelor's degree | 32.7% | 18.0% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 29.7% | 13.1% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Fairfax city | Salem city | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 57.0% | 76.8% |
| Carpooled | 9.7% | 7.1% |
| Public transit | 3.8% | 0.4% |
| Walked | 2.7% | 5.8% |
| Bicycle | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Worked from home | 25.2% | 9.5% |
| Other means | 1.5% | 0.4% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Fairfax city | Salem city | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 53.6% | 71.2% |
| 1-unit, attached | 17.3% | 3.9% |
| 2 to 4 units | 3.2% | 5.3% |
| 5 to 19 units | 19.3% | 13.2% |
| 20 or more units | 6.5% | 3.5% |
| Mobile home & other | 0.0% | 2.9% |
Poverty & households
| Fairfax city | Salem city | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 9.9% | 10.9% |
| Average household size | 2.61 | 2.27 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 28 | 19 |
| Median year structure built | 1967 | 1971 |
Full profiles
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