Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,357, settled in 1880. A typical home costs 3 years of the Sioux Falls metro’s $83K median household income.
Salem’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for walkability; its weakest is a C− for schools. 28% of residents are under 18 in Salem, above both South Dakota’s towns (22%) and U.S. towns (22%). Only 2 of South Dakota’s 85 towns score lower on the outdoors. Salem has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them St. Mary's Catholic Church and McCook County Courthouse. Salem has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Salem beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Dakota), ordered by how far Salem is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1897.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Salem, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Salem.
Its public schools are run by the McCook Central School District 43-7. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| McCook Central Elementary - 02Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 225 | D |
| McCook Central High School - 01Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 118 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Salem for work: only 17% work in town. At 23 minutes, Salem’s average trip to work is where South Dakota’s towns sit at 17 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. 5.6% of residents live below the poverty line in Salem.
| Salem | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 29% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.6% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Salem beats the South Dakota average on 2 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 14% of Salem adults report frequent mental distress.
| Salem | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 22% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 19% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | Salem | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.3% | 75.9% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 87.8% | 84.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.1% | 9.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Salem has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 7° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Salem home is worth about $252,000, up 7.6% in a year, 21% below the South Dakota typical home.
| Salem | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $965 a month | $962 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 68% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Adults 35 to 64 are 31% of residents (36% statewide); people 65 and older are 23% of residents (18% statewide). 27% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across South Dakota.
| Salem | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 23% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 27% | 33% | 29% |
48% women, 52% men
About 110 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.2 points). Across South Dakota, 49.2% of residents are women.
| Salem | SD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.5% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 15.1% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.2% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.5% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.5% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.4% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.7% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.8% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.3% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.6% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.4% | 29% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.5% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.9% | 12.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.6% | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10% | 10% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,400, single groups can be off by several points
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 52% of U.S. communities. Since 2019, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Salem.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Salem; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Salem residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.
Where Salem’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 places in Salem on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in South Dakota, United States
Salem is a city in and the county seat of McCook County, South Dakota, United States. The city's population was 1,325 at the 2020 census. The current mayor is Shawn English.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
