New Salem, York County, 2009
New Salem’s story
150 years in pictures
Census counts: 224 in 1880, 822 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 5 maps from 1920 on.
- 1876New Salem is settled
New SalemPA
A town of 822, settled in 1876.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
822
2025 Census estimate · +0.6% since 2020
Typical home
$295K
+4.8% in a year
Household income
$107K
median
Median age
34.4
years
Jobs based here
264
A commuter town
Is New Salem a good place to live?
12% of residents are 65 or older in New Salem, against 21% in Pennsylvania’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. Only 10 of the 1,036 Pennsylvania towns we compare have a higher share of households owning their home than New Salem. New Salem has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
822 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
North Codorus TownshipWest Manchester TownshipNew Salem
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to New Salem: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in New Salem, and how to reach them.
PowerAdams Electric Cooperative15.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterThe York Water Company1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have New Salem’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Pennsylvania you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereYork County Board of ElectionsYork County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2024
ZIP codes17408, 1737117408 68% · 17371 32%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in New Salem.
Work & commute
Most of New Salem’s workers commute out: the town has 0.7 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave New Salem for work: only 1% work in town. At $107,000, New Salem’s median household income is where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at $81,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. 3.3% of New Salem residents live below the poverty line.
1%work in town
| New Salem | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $107,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 3.3% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.2% | 6.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In New Salem1%
York12%
West Manchester Township9%
York Township4%
Manchester Township4%
11 mi
median commute distance
264
jobs based in New Salem
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Low risk in New Salem, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities.
22risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesHeat waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in New Salem
New Salem has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 22° and about 29 inches of snow falls in a winter.
29″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–42°
Spring40–63°
Summer62–84°
Fall44–65°
Oct 18
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy New Salem is
New Salem beats the Pennsylvania average on 5 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 15% of adults report frequent mental distress in New Salem.
| New Salem | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 19% | 19% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 14% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
5 better20 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | New Salem | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.4% | 14.5% |
| Fewer adults in fair or poor health | 15.3% | 18.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.1% | 8.8% |
UPMC Memorial
1.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
New Salem’s typical home value is about $295K
The typical New Salem home is worth about $295,000, up 4.8% in a year, close to the Pennsylvania typical home.
$295KZillow home value
Typical home value
New Salem$295K
Pennsylvania$287K
+4.8%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about New Salem
17pages on New Salem
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of New Salem
York College of PennsylvaniaUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · York4.5 mi$25,588 tuitionPennsylvania State University-Penn State YorkUniversity or college · Public · York5.8 mi$15,208 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 New Salem residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Pennsylvania.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave New Salem for work
Where New Salem’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
264jobs based in New Salem
1%of working residents work in town
11 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from New Salem
4 notable people were born in New Salem.
About New Salem
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
New Salem is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the borough had a total population of 818. It is part of the York–Hanover metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1876
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 636 ft
- ZIP code
- 17371
Questions about New Salem
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is New Salem, PA a good place to live?
New Salem has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is New Salem, PA known for?
4 notable people were born here, including Isaac Newton Lewis and Charles Edgar Woodward.