Photo: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0In Salem, 65% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across New York
Salem’s town government spent $1.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $520 per resident. Water and other utilities ($101,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Salem is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Salem Central School District
Salem’s K–12 school district, shared with Hebron. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $27,073 per pupil, $17,071 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.
New York districts overall: 51% local, 41% state, 8% federal.
Cambridge Central School District · $29,318 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $520 per resident a year, or $1.42 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 46%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$520 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Salem’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($520 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 321 New York towns and townships of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $458, and the middle half spent $340–$617. Salem spent more than 62% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($4,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
New York towns and townships 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.
The typical homeowner pays $3,908 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.99% of the home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York.
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 town employee for every 435 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (2,607).
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.
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.
Donald J TrumpRepublican53.8%762 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat45.7%648 votesOthers: 0.5% (7 votes).
Most votes in Salem: Donald J Trump
Washington County: Trump 60.1%, Harris 39.1% · New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%
of Salem’s 2,186 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across New York: 59%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Salem: Kirsten E Gillibrand
Washington County: Sapraicone 54.5%, Gillibrand 44.9% · New York: Gillibrand 58.8%, Sapraicone 40.5%
Most votes in the district: Elise M Stefanik
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Salem, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem | 53.8% | 45.7% | 0.5% | 1,417 |
| Washington County | 60.1% | 39.1% | 0.8% | 28,716 |
| New York | 43.3% | 55.9% | 0.8% | 8,262,600 |
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 townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2New York AssemblyState representatives
- 3New York SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New York
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Salem compares with the towns next door
Salem spent $520 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $301 to $486. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
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
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Salem’s government
How much does Salem spend per resident?
About $520 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $520 was more than 62% of 321 New York towns and townships 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 $3,908 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.99% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.55% across New York. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Salem’s government?
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, Donald J Trump 53.8%, Kamala D Harris 45.7% (1,417 votes, official results). Washington County: Trump 60.1%, Harris 39.1%. New York: Harris 55.9%, Trump 43.3%.
How many people work for Salem?
6 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $38,059 (about $456,708 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Salem in the state legislature?
State Senate District 43 (Jake Ashby) and Assembly District 114 (Matt Simpson). The Assembly district also covers 48 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 →