Photo: Brandonrush · CC BY-SA 4.041 homes sold in Salem in the last year, at a typical $246K
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Salem homes are listed.
Every place Salem homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Salem.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
Houses are 100% of Salem’s sales, at a typical $246K
41 homes sold in the year to May 2026.
typical sale · 41 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $146AR $157
- Days to sell
- 51
- Sold over asking
- 20%
- Listings with a price cut
- 26%
About as many homes sell as usual, at 1.9 times the 2016 price
41 sales in the last year, against 64 in 2021 and a low of 27 in 2014. The typical sale went from $132K in 2016 to $246K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $250K buys in Salem
Check a listing against what Salem homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Salem are more common than before the pandemic, but 29% fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Salem’s home sales since 2014 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 41 sales.
If you’re buying in Salem
- Shop in January. It brings about 6 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (15% over asking).
- You can negotiate. 26% of listings have cut their price, against 18% before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 98.3% of the list price on average; 20% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 44% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 51 days.
Winter brings the homes; spring brings the bidding wars
January has the most new listings (about 6 a month), but April is the most competitive: 32% of April sales close over asking. December has the least competition (9%) but only about 2 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and hotter than Arkansas
| Salem now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | AR now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 20% | 10% | 33% | 13% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 44% | 37% | 34% | 26% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 26% | 18% | 16% | 22% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 98.3% | 96.8% | 99.4% | 97% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 51 | 83 | 46 | 59 |
8 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.2 times the 2022 low (7), 29% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2023’s 17.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
26% in the last year, against 18% in 2017–19 and 22% across Arkansas. More sellers are pricing high and coming down.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2014 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Salem home costs about $1,355 a month
Price: Salem’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Salem’s 0.4% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Salem is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in January
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 2.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $246K home, about $850 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Salem, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in SalemCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Cherokee Village and Ozark Acres sell for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Salem, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee Village | 159 | $140K | $112 | 14% | 89 |
| Salem | 41 | $246K | $146 | 20% | 51 |
| Ozark Acres | 21 | $96K | $77 | 19% | 147 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Salem, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Salem. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Salem with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Salem
What do homes sell for in Salem, AR?
41 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $246K, $146 a square foot.
Is Salem a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 10 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 6 sold, about 1.7 months of supply. Buyers paid 98.3% of asking on average, and 26% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Salem?
January brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Salem?
About 0.4% of a home’s value a year. On a $246K home that’s near $850.
Where can I see homes for sale in Salem?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Salem’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Salem.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).