Photo: TomahawkBRAWL · CC BY-SA 4.0Salem spent less per resident in 2022 than 80% of similar cities
Salem’s city government spent $9.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $857 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Salem is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$857 per resident in 2022: less than 80% of them
Salem’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($857 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 61 Ohio cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,165, and the middle half spent $988–$1,535. Salem spent less than 80% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3 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 →
Ohio cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Salem itself left out).
About $857 per resident a year, or $2.35 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Salem reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,343 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.12% of the home’s value, vs 1.31% across Ohio.
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 cityofsalemohio.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 139 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 (11,517).
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 City School District
Salem’s K–12 school district, shared with Perry Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,263 per pupil, $8,435 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.
Ohio districts overall: 53% local, 35% state, 12% federal.
South Range Local School District · $13,017 per pupil
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.
Donald J TrumpRepublican66.5%3,509 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat32.4%1,710 votesOthers: 1.1% (57 votes).
Most votes in Salem: Donald J Trump
Columbiana County: Trump 74.1%, Harris 25.1% · Ohio: Trump 55.1%, Harris 43.9%
of Salem’s 9,742 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Ohio: 64%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Salem: Bernie Moreno
Columbiana County: Moreno 66.7%, Brown 29.2% · Ohio: Moreno 50.1%, Brown 46.5%
Most votes in the district: Michael A Rulli
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Salem, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem | 66.5% | 32.4% | 1.1% | 5,276 |
| Columbiana County | 74.1% | 25.1% | 0.8% | 48,046 |
| Ohio | 55.1% | 43.9% | 0.9% | 5,767,788 |
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: cityofsalemohio.org ↗
- 2Ohio HouseSalem is split between 2 districts
- 3Ohio SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Ohio
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Salem compares with the towns next door
Salem spent $857 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Green Township | estimate | $3,329 |
| Salem | $857 | $1,343 |
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 $857 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 $857 was less than 80% of 61 Ohio cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Salem?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,343 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.12% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.31% across Ohio. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofsalemohio.org.
Who runs Salem’s government?
See cityofsalemohio.org 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, Donald J Trump 66.5%, Kamala D Harris 32.4% (5,276 votes, official results). Columbiana County: Trump 74.1%, Harris 25.1%. Ohio: Trump 55.1%, Harris 43.9%.
How many people work for Salem?
83 full-time and 40 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $492,282 (about $5.9M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Salem in the state legislature?
Salem is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Ohio Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 33 (Al Cutrona). 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 →