Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0In Salem, 82% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across Connecticut
Salem’s town government spent $14.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $3,258 per resident.
What stands out about how Salem is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$3,281 per resident in 2022: less than 68% of them
Salem’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,281 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 19 Connecticut towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,162, and the middle half spent $3,222–$4,840. Salem spent less than 68% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($171,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Connecticut towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Salem itself left out).
About $3,258 per resident a year, or $8.93 a day
Schools are part of the town’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 71% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Salem runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Connecticut towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that run their own schools.
Day-to-day spending is up 5% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Salem reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $3,281 · 2024: $3,258. Per resident it went from $3,281 to $3,258 (down 1%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 4,083 to 4,326.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $6,668 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.65% of the home’s value, vs 1.81% across Connecticut.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Salem’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Salem’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Salem →
Who’s in charge in Salem
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Salem’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on salemct.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 53 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (4,326).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Salem School District
Salem’s elementary school district. The schools are run by Salem, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $24,425 per pupil, $10,904 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Connecticut districts overall: 58% local, 35% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Salem voted in 2024
Official results for Salem’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican50.6%1,345 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat47.5%1,263 votesOthers: 2.0% (52 votes).
Most votes in Salem: Donald J Trump
Connecticut: Harris 56.4%, Trump 41.9%
of Salem’s 3,226 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Connecticut: 66%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Salem: Christopher S Murphy
Connecticut: Murphy 58.6%, Corey 39.7%
President, 2024: Salem, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem | 50.6% | 47.5% | 2.0% | 2,660 |
| Connecticut | 41.9% | 56.4% | 1.7% | 1,759,010 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
How Salem compares with the towns next door
Salem spent $3,281 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $964 to $3,762. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Lyme | $964 | $7,328 |
| Colchester | $3,762 runs schools | $6,212 |
| Montville | estimate | $4,565 |
| Bozrah | estimate | $4,438 |
| East Haddam | estimate | $5,724 |
| East Lyme | estimate | $6,087 |
| Salem | $3,281 | $6,668 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Salem’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Salem’s government
How much does Salem spend per resident?
About $3,258 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $3,281 was less than 68% of 19 Connecticut towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Salem?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,668 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.65% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.81% across Connecticut. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see salemct.gov.
Who runs Salem’s government?
See salemct.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Salem yet.
How did Salem vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 50.6%, Kamala D Harris 47.5% (2,660 votes, official results). . Connecticut: Harris 56.4%, Trump 41.9%.
How many people work for Salem?
82 full-time and 46 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $535,926 (about $6.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Salem’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →