Photo: Paul Sableman from St. Louis, MO · CC BY 2.0Salem runs its own hospital
Salem’s city government spent $6.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, about $880 per resident. It also runs a hospital ($35.4 million) and water utilities ($6.2 million), counted separately. Census Bureau figures.
What stands out about how Salem is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $880 per resident a year, or $2.41 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 41%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$880 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Salem’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($880 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 166 Illinois cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $884, and the middle half spent $696–$1,158. Salem spent less than 51% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Illinois cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Salem itself left out).
No trend yet
Salem reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025 (hospital, health & welfare left out), down from 71 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $2,253 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.12% of the home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois.
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 city posts agendas and minutes on salemil.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 105 residents, not counting hospital, health & welfare staff
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (6,952).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
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 Community High School District 600
Salem’s high school district, shared with Alma Township, Farrington Township, Haines Township, Iuka Township, Iuka and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,301 per pupil, $7,242 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.
Illinois districts overall: 52% local, 38% state, 10% federal.
Salem School District 111 · $13,355 per pupil
Selmaville Community Consolidated School District 10 · $15,827 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Salem’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Salem alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Marion County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican73.8%12,409 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat24.5%4,116 votesOthers: 1.7% (284 votes).
Most votes in Marion County: Donald J Trump
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of Salem lies in Marion County. Every 2024 race in Marion County is on the county’s page.
Marion County’s 2024 results →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.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Salem.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: salemil.us ↗
- 2Illinois HouseState representatives
- 3Illinois SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Illinois
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
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 $880 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. Salem also runs a hospital ($35.4 million), counted separately. In 2022, the last full count, its $880 was less than 51% of 166 Illinois cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Salem?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,253 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.12% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see salemil.us.
Who runs Salem’s government?
See salemil.us 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?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Salem alone. Marion County, where 100% of Salem lies, voted Trump 73.8%, Harris 24.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Salem?
66 full-time and 23 part-time employees in March 2025 (plus 1 full-time hospital, health & welfare staff), with a March payroll of $440,759 (about $5.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Salem in the state legislature?
State Senate District 55 (Jason Plummer) and State House District 110 (Blaine Wilhour). The House district also covers 118 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from 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 →