Photo: M.O. Stevens · CC BY-SA 3.01,826 homes sold in Salem in the last year, at a typical $441K
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Salem homes are listed.
Every place Salem homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Salem.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
3% of Salem’s sales are condos, at $143K less than a house
1695 houses and 52 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 1695 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $266OR $296
- Days to sell
- 58
- Sold over asking
- 28%
- Listings with a price cut
- 27%
typical sale · 52 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $249OR $316
- Days to sell
- 83
- Sold over asking
- 17%
- Listings with a price cut
- 25%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 55 sold, typical $486K
Townhouses: 24 sold, typical $356K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2022, at twice the 2016 price
1,826 sales in the last year, against 3,095 in 2021 and a low of 1,529 in 2012. The typical sale went from $232K in 2016 to $441K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $450K buys in Salem
Check a listing against what Salem homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Salem are rarer than before the pandemic, with about as many homes for sale
We read every month of Salem’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 1,826 sales.
If you’re buying in Salem
- Shop in March. It brings about 258 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (38% over asking).
- You can negotiate. 27% of listings have cut their price, against 19% before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 99.2% of the list price on average; 27% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 25% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 59 days.
Summer brings the homes; spring brings the bidding wars
June has the most new listings (about 312 a month), but May is the most competitive: 43% of May sales close over asking. March and April offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (38%). January has the least competition (31%) but only about 184 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and about like Oregon as a whole
| Salem now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | OR now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 27% | 38% | 57% | 24% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 25% | 45% | 66% | 31% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 27% | 19% | 12% | 30% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 99.2% | 99.9% | 102.1% | 98.8% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 59 | 52 | 39 | 46 |
567 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.3 times the 2023 low (439), about the 2017–19 level and well under 2012’s 821.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
27% in the last year, against 19% in 2017–19 and 30% across Oregon. More sellers are pricing high and coming down.
Since 2019, houses are up 46%, condos 45%
A house typically sold for $445K in the last year (1695 sales), a condo for $302K (52).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Salem ranks 33rd of 109 busy Oregon markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Salem is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Salem home costs about $2,654 a month
Price: Salem’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Salem’s 1% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Salem is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in June
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 123.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $441K home, about $4,240 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Salem, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in SalemCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
No busy market nearby sells for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Salem, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem | 1,826 | $441K | $263 | 27% | 59 |
| Keizer | 346 | $460K | $280 | 30% | 55 |
| Four Corners | 136 | $383K | $280 | 31% | 59 |
| Hayesville | 131 | $406K | $265 | 36% | 60 |
| Independence | 80 | $431K | $293 | 24% | 89 |
| Aumsville | 35 | $441K | $300 | 26% | 62 |
| Turner | 27 | $585K | $292 | 15% | 74 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Salem, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Salem. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Salem with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Salem
What do homes sell for in Salem, OR?
1,826 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $441K, $263 a square foot. Houses sold for about $445K, condos for about $302K.
Is Salem a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A balanced market: 605 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 146 sold, about 4.1 months of supply. Buyers paid 99.2% of asking on average, and 27% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Salem?
June brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Salem?
About 1% of a home’s value a year. On a $441K home that’s near $4,240.
Where can I see homes for sale in Salem?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Salem’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Salem.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).