SalemNM
The town has 916 residents and lies in New Mexico.
Is Salem a good place to live?
54% of residents live below the poverty line in Salem, against 21% in New Mexico’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. No town among the 74 in New Mexico we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Salem. Salem has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
916 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Salem: who provides what
Salem is unincorporated, so Doña Ana County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 27, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Salem.
The median household income in Salem is lower than in the typical New Mexico or U.S. town
Only 1% of working residents stay in Salem for work; the rest commute out. For Salem, the average commute is 29 minutes. Half the trips to work are shorter than 38 miles. The top destinations are Las Cruces (20%), Hatch (10%) and Albuquerque (8%).
| Salem | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $31,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.7% | 14% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Salem faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Compared with 77% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Salem is higher. FEMA puts 54% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 37% to drought. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Salem after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2025.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Expect mild winters and hot summers in Salem
July afternoons reach 96°, January nights drop to 26° and snow is almost unheard of.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Salem stands out in New Mexico and nationally: a larger share of its adults worry about having enough food
In Salem, 19% of adults have diabetes, and 42% get no exercise outside work. Of 32 CDC measures, Salem beats the New Mexico average on 1 and trails it on 18. The share of adults 18 to 64 in Salem who have no health insurance: 37%.
| Salem | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 26% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 27% | 25% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 23% | 14% |
| What stands out | Salem | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.1% | 7.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 37.1% | 15.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Salem
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Salem; the nearest are
About 10 of every 100 Salem residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
99% of working residents leave Salem for work
Where Salem’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Salem
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Salem, NM a good place to live?
Salem has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.