Photo: Ben P L · CC BY-SA 2.0Salem spent more per resident in 2022 than 77% of similar cities
Salem’s city government spent $11.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,273 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($7 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Salem is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,273 per resident in 2022: more than 77% of them
Salem’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,273 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 47 Utah cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $828, and the middle half spent $562–$1,050. Salem spent more than 77% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.1 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 →
Utah cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Salem itself left out).
About $1,273 per resident a year, or $3.49 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 19%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Salem reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2024 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 69 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
The typical homeowner pays $2,668 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.44% of the home’s value, vs 0.52% across Utah.
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 pondtown.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 121 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (8,866).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Nebo School District
Salem’s K–12 school district, shared with Elk Ridge, Genola, Goshen, Mapleton, Payson and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $8,993 per pupil, $5,663 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.
Utah districts overall: 42% local, 51% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Salem’s votes are counted by county
Utah reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Salem alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Utah County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican68.2%203,417 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat28.5%84,922 votesOthers: 3.3% (9,725 votes).
Most votes in Utah County: Donald J Trump
Utah: Trump 59.4%, Harris 37.8%
100% of Salem lies in Utah County. Every 2024 race in Utah County is on the county’s page.
Utah County’s 2024 results →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: pondtown.org ↗
- 2Utah HouseSalem is split between 2 districts
- 3Utah SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Utah
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Salem compares with the towns next door
Salem spent $1,273 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $513 to $1,065. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Elk Ridge | $513 | $3,092 |
| Woodland Hills | $872 | $5,068 |
| Spanish Fork | $1,018 | $2,281 |
| Payson | $1,065 | $2,019 |
| Salem | $1,273 | $2,668 |
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 $1,273 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,273 was more than 77% of 47 Utah cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Salem?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,668 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.44% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.52% across Utah. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see pondtown.org.
Who runs Salem’s government?
See pondtown.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?
Utah counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Salem alone. Utah County, where 100% of Salem lies, voted Trump 68.2%, Harris 28.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Salem?
73 full-time and 38 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $545,966 (about $6.6M 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 Utah Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 25 (Mike McKell). 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 →