Photo: Fletcher6 · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Salem run?
Salem’s city government spent $221.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $4,951 per resident. Water and other utilities ($5.1 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Salem is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
3 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Salem’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov12City CouncilThursday · 7:00 pm · 93 Washington Street, Council Chambers, 2nd FloorCity Council Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov12GeneralThursday · 7:00 pm · 93 Washington Street, Council Chambers, 2nd FloorSalem City Council Regular Meeting November 12, 2026Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec10City CouncilThursday · 7:00 pm · 93 Washington Street, Council Chambers, 2nd FloorCity Council Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Oct22City CouncilThursday · 7:00 pm · 93 Washington Street, Council Chambers, 2nd FloorOne Time EventAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct19City CouncilMonday · 6:00 pm · 93 Washington Street, Council Chambers, 2nd FloorJoint Public Hearing with the Planning BoardAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct15GeneralThursday · 6:00 pm · 93 Washington Street, Council Chambers, 2nd FloorSalem City Council Special MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct8City CouncilThursday · 7:00 pm · 93 Washington Street, Council Chambers, 2nd FloorCity Council Regular MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Sep24GeneralThursday · 7:00 pm · 93 Washington Street, Council Chambers, 2nd FloorSalem City Council Regular Meeting September 24, 2026Agenda ↗Minutes ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $4,951 per resident a year, or $13.56 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 52% 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 Massachusetts cities of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools.
$4,416 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Salem’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,416 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 22 Massachusetts cities of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,168, and the middle half spent $3,816–$4,686. Salem spent more than 64% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($5.6 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Massachusetts cities of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Salem itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 15% 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: $4,416 · 2023: $4,470 · 2024: $4,951.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $6,114 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.13% of the home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts.
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.
One full-time city employee for every 37 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 (44,722).
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 K–12 school district. The schools are run by Salem, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $27,232 per pupil, $15,660 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.
Massachusetts districts overall: 49% local, 43% 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.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat71.4%16,536 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican25.8%5,967 votesOthers: 2.8% (655 votes).
Most votes in Salem: Kamala D Harris
Essex County: Harris 58.9%, Trump 38.7% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Salem’s 35,281 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Salem: Elizabeth Ann Warren
Essex County: Warren 57.8%, Deaton 42.0% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%
Most votes in the district: Seth W Moulton
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Salem, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem | 71.4% | 25.8% | 2.8% | 23,158 |
| Essex County | 58.9% | 38.7% | 2.5% | 401,851 |
| Massachusetts | 61.2% | 36.0% | 2.8% | 3,473,668 |
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: salem.com ↗
- 2Massachusetts HouseState representatives
- 3Massachusetts SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Massachusetts
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Salem compares with the towns next door
Salem spent $4,416 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Marblehead | $3,347 runs schools | $8,309 |
| Beverly | $3,430 runs schools | $6,836 |
| Peabody | $4,079 runs schools | $5,065 |
| Danvers | $4,334 runs schools | $6,654 |
| Swampscott | $5,525 runs schools | $7,936 |
| Salem | $4,416 | $6,114 |
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 $4,951 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 $4,416 was more than 64% of 22 Massachusetts cities of 25,000–49,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Salem?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,114 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.13% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see salem.com.
Who runs Salem’s government?
See salem.com 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, Kamala D Harris 71.4%, Donald J Trump 25.8% (23,158 votes, official results). Essex County: Harris 58.9%, Trump 38.7%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Salem?
1,211 full-time and 239 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $7.3M (about $87.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Salem in the state legislature?
State Senate District Second Essex (Joan Lovely) and State House District 7th Essex (Manny Cruz). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Salem?
The next posted meeting is City Council on Thursday, November 12, at 7:00 pm in 93 Washington Street, Council Chambers, 2nd Floor, from the city’s own agenda portal.
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 →