Photo: Paul Sableman from St. Louis, MO · CC BY 2.089 homes sold in Salem in the last year, at a typical $142K
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 98% of Salem’s sales, at a typical $143K
89 homes sold in the year to May 2026.
typical sale · 87 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $98IL $180
- Days to sell
- 62
- Sold over asking
- 22%
- Listings with a price cut
- 25%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 1 sold, typical $135K
Condos: 1 sold, typical $123K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 1.8 times the 2016 price
89 sales in the last year, against 107 in 2025 and a low of 74 in 2019. The typical sale went from $77K in 2016 to $142K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $150K 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 a third fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Salem’s home sales since 2012 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, 89 sales.
If you’re buying in Salem
- Shop in March. It brings about 9 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (7% over asking).
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 96.2% of the list price on average; 22% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 24% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 60 days.
Summer brings the homes; winter brings the bidding wars
August has the most new listings (about 10 a month), but December is the most competitive: 15% of December sales close over asking. March offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (7%). March has the least competition (7%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Nearly as heated as 2021, and calmer than Illinois
| Salem now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | IL now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 22% | 5% | 17% | 37% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 24% | 0% | 1% | 46% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 25% | — | — | 19% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 96.2% | 91.6% | 94.8% | 99.2% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 60 | 281 | 157 | 49 |
26 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.4 times the 2021 low (18), 37% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2018’s 47.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
25% in the last year, against — in 2017–19 and 19% across Illinois.
Salem ranks 298th of 324 busy Illinois markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Salem is one of the state’s calmer markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 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 $992 a month
Price: Salem’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Salem’s 2.1% (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 August
The month with the most choice. February has the fewest, about 4.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $142K home, about $3,020 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.
Centralia sells 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centralia | 134 | $106K | $76 | 16% | 62 |
| Mount Vernon | 133 | $139K | $96 | 25% | 59 |
| Salem | 89 | $142K | $98 | 22% | 60 |
| Carlyle | 34 | $180K | $109 | 29% | 67 |
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, IL?
89 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $142K, $98 a square foot.
Is Salem a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A balanced market: 20 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 5 sold, about 4 months of supply. Buyers paid 96.2% of asking on average, and 25% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Salem?
August brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Salem?
About 2.1% of a home’s value a year. On a $142K home that’s near $3,020.
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).