Salem, Illinois

Salem is the birthplace of William Jennings Bryan, the G. I. Bill of Rights and Miracle Whip[?] salad dressing.

Geography Salem is located at 38°37'42" North, 88°56'53" West (38.628195, -88.948168)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.2 km² (6.3 mi²). 15.8 km² (6.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.56% water.

Demographics As of the census of 2000, there are 7,909 people, 3,249 households, and 2,082 families residing in the city. The population density is 500.6/km² (1,296.5/mi²). There are 3,473 housing units at an average density of 219.8/km² (569.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 97.13% White, 0.72% African American, 0.30% Native American, 1.15% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. 0.72% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 3,249 households out of which 28.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% are married couples living together, 11.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% are non-families. 32.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 17.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.32 and the average family size is 2.91.

In the city the population is spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 83.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $34,339, and the median income for a family is $42,070. Males have a median income of $31,811 versus $21,931 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,954. 9.2% of the population and 6.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 13.2% are under the age of 18 and 9.2% are 65 or older.