Downtown, 2020
North Salem’s story
191 years in pictures
Census counts: 160 in 1860, a peak of 626 in 1960, 464 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2020 and a map from 1958 on.
- 1835North Salem is settled
North SalemIN
Photo: ONUnicorn · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
473
2025 Census estimate · +2.8% since 2020
Typical home
$357K
+7% in a year
Household income
$68K
median
Median age
29.7
years
Jobs based here
100
A commuter town
Is North Salem a good place to live?
32% of residents are under 18 in North Salem, above both Indiana’s towns (23%) and U.S. towns (22%). Only 6 of the 594 Indiana towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than North Salem. North Salem has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes North Salem stand out
Where North Salem beats most towns.
Small town
473 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to North Salem: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in North Salem, and how to reach them.
PowerDuke Energy15.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterNorth Salem Water CorporationNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have North Salem’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Indiana you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereHendricks County Voter Registration OfficeHendricks County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code4616546165 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in North Salem.
Housing
Homes in North Salem are worth about $357K, by Zillow’s estimate
The share of households in North Salem who own their home is 88%, against 76% in Indiana’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. Values rose 7% in the 12 months to September 2026. The town’s going rate for rent stands at $1,160 a month.
$357KZillow home value
| North Salem | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 88% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,160 a month | $947 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
North Salem$357K
Indiana$257K
+7%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
With only 0.5 jobs per working resident, most people in North Salem work out of town
For residents in North Salem, the share who live below the poverty line is 2.6%. Jobs based in North Salem grew to 100 in 2023, 42 more than in 2013. Also worth knowing: in North Salem, the average commute is 28 minutes. The median commute is under 21 miles.
0%work in town
| North Salem | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 2.6% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $68,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In North Salem0%
Indianapolis31%
Danville12%
Carmel7%
Avon6%
21 mi
median commute distance
100
jobs based in North Salem
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
More children than Indiana overall
In North Salem, the median age is 29.7 years. The Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate puts North Salem at 473 residents, up 2.8% since 2020. Among adults 25 and older in the town, 20% hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
29.7median age · IN 38.1
| North Salem | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 29.7 years | 39.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 20% | 22% | 29% |
North SalemIndianaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
24%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma11%
High school32%
Some college18%
Associate’s18%
Bachelor’s16%
Graduate4%
Women and men · all residents
56% women, 44% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±8.9 points. Across Indiana, 50.4% of residents are women. Among residents 18 to 24, 89% are women (IN 49%).
| North Salem | IN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 23.6% | 12.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.1% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.4% | 9.6% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.2% | 13.1% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 18.2% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.1% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 5.9% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.2% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.3% | 6.7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.1% | 9.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.4% | 32.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.4% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 18% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.4% | 18.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 3.8% | 10.8% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 500, single groups can be off by several points
14″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter21–37°
Spring40–62°
Summer61–82°
Fall43–64°
Oct 19
typical first frost
Apr 23
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy North Salem is
The town does better than the Indiana average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 1. In North Salem, 38% of adults have high blood pressure. Two figures for adults in the town: 10% worry about having enough food, 17% report frequent mental distress.
| North Salem | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Indiana
8 better23 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | North Salem | IN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.7% | 15.4% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.9% | 8.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.6% | 8.3% |
Hendricks Regional Health
9.9 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: moderate risk in North Salem, mostly inland flooding
Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 56% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in North Salem after 5 declared disasters, most recently in 2014. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 59% come from inland flooding and 13% from tornadoes.
56risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearby attractions
All 55 attractions →Lucas Oil Stadium and 34 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around North Salem. Close and well known come first.
Big draw26 mi Stadium & arenaLucas Oil Stadium
27 mi Stadium & arenaGainbridge Fieldhouse
25 mi Stadium & arenaHinkle Fieldhouse
27 mi LandmarkSoldiers' and Sailors' Monument
24 mi MuseumIndianapolis Museum of Art428K visitors a year
26 mi MuseumThe Children's Museum of Indianapolis1.0M visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lucas Oil Stadium: Josh Hallett from Winter Haven, FL, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Gainbridge Fieldhouse: Durin at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hinkle Fieldhouse: Peetlesnumber1, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument: alexeatswhales, CC BY 2.0 · Indianapolis Museum of Art: No machine-readable author provided. Cszmurlo assumed (based on copyright claims, CC BY 3.0 · The Children's Museum of Indianapolis: HstryQT, CC BY 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about North Salem
16pages on North Salem
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of North Salem; the nearest are
Wabash CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Crawfordsville18.5 mi$50,800 tuitionIndiana University-IndianapolisUniversity or college · Public · Indianapolis25.7 mi$10,762 in-state tuitionIvy Tech Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Indianapolis26.1 mi$5,154 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 North Salem residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave North Salem for work
Where North Salem’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
100jobs based in North Salem
0%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About North Salem
Town in Indiana, United States
North Salem is a town in Eel River Township, Hendricks County, Indiana, United States. The population was 464 at the 2020 Census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1835
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 892 ft
- ZIP code
- 46165
- Area code
- 765
Questions about North Salem
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is North Salem, IN a good place to live?
North Salem has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.