Photo: M.O. Stevens · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Salem, OR: what to set up and who to call
Power in Salem comes from Salem Electric, a cooperative utility rather than a private company. Salem has its own drop-off, Salem-Keizer Recycling and Transfer Station, on 3250 Deer Park Drive Southeast.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Salem, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Salem.
Power comes from Salem Electric
Salem Electric (Salem Electric - (OR)), a cooperative utility, serves all of Salem. Its homes paid an average of 10.9¢ per kWh in 2025, about $95 a month (its average across Oregon).
Start or move service: salemelectric.com · (503) 362-3601
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Salem Public Works
Salem Public Works supplies almost all of Salem. It draws surface water and serves 199,820 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 86% of the 332 systems serving 100,001–250,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Dec 2025, was 2.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 7.5 ppb. That’s higher than 64% of similar systems’ latest results.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. OR4100731.
8 home internet providers serve Salem
99% of 51,677 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 22% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable, Fiber | 99% | 2,000/250 |
| Alyrica | Fixed wireless, Fiber, DSL | 63% | 400/50 |
| CenturyLink | DSL, Fiber | 57% | 140/20 |
| Hunter Communications | Fiber, Fixed wireless | 20% | 2,500/2,500 |
| Quantum Fiber | Fiber | 17% | 2,000/1,000 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 58% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Salem has its own drop-off: Salem-Keizer Recycling and Transfer Station
Where to take trash and recycling in Salem, and where the rules are.
Salem-Keizer Recycling and Transfer Station
3250 Deer Park Drive Southeast, Salem, OR, 97317
Before you go, check the rules on co.marion.or.us.
OpenStreetMap, as of Oct 9, 2026 (last edited Mar 2026). © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of Salem (98%) is in Salem-Keizer School District 24J.
CSchool gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jul 2019; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Oct 2, 2026.
Salem spans 6 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Salem residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Salem | ZIP’s residents in Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| 97301 | Salem, OR | 28% | 88% |
| 97302 | Salem, OR | 22% | 96% |
| 97306 | Salem, OR | 18% | 89% |
| 97304 | Salem, OR | 17% | 86% |
| 97305 | Salem, OR | 10% | 40% |
| 97317 | Salem, OR | 4% | 30% |
A few homes fall in 97310, 97303. 97308, 97309, 97311, 97312, 97313, 97314 are P.O. box or single-organization ZIPs with no homes.
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
Train: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Salem
Who supplies Salem’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Salem Public Works (EPA ID OR4100731). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 86% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 2.0 ppb (Jan–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Salem?
Salem Electric (Salem Electric - (OR)), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 10.9¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Salem?
Xfinity, Alyrica, CenturyLink, Hunter Communications, Quantum Fiber, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Salem?
97301 (28%), 97302 (22%), 97306 (18%), 97304 (17%), 97305 (10%), 97317 (4%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Salem in?
Salem-Keizer School District 24J.
How do I register to vote in Salem?
In Oregon you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person until 21 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before). Elections here are run by the Marion County Clerk, Elections Office. Check your registration at sos.oregon.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Oct 2, 2026 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.