Virginia · County property tax · ACS 2024
Salem city Property Taxes
The median homeowner in Salem city pays $2,316 a year, an effective rate of 0.90%, notably higher than the U.S. average.
- $2,316
- Median tax / yr · Above-median bill
- 0.90%
- Effective rate · Above-median rate
- +16%
- vs U.S. average
- #17 of 133
- rank in VA
The verdict
Homeowners in Salem city pay a median $2,316 a year in property tax, an effective rate of 0.90%, more affordable than 43% of U.S. counties (Census ACS 2024).
- $2,316
- Median annual tax bill, 2024
- 0.90%
- Effective rate on median home
- #1794 of 3135
- U.S. counties by tax burden
- +16%
- vs the national average bill
Effective rate is the median property tax bill divided by the median home value ($258,600). U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2024.
Census Bureau ACS property tax data for Virginia. Population: 25,618. Owner-occupied homes: 6,441.
The median annual property tax in Salem city is $2,316, which is 17% lower than the Virginia state average and 16% above the national average. The effective tax rate is 0.90% on a median home value of $258,600. Property taxes represent 3.5% of the median household income in this county.
Salem city's rate standing among U.S. counties
Primary signal
The effective rate sits near the national middle
Salem city's 0.90% effective rate sits near the middle of 3,135 tracked counties (more affordable than 43%).
Decision signal 2
Low among Virginia counties by effective rate
Salem city ranks #17 of 133 counties in Virginia by effective rate (87% of in-state counties pay a lower rate).
Decision signal 3
The bill is near the usual comparison points
Homeowners in Salem city pay a median annual property tax of $2,316, notably higher than the national median and notably lower than the Virginia state median. On a $258,600 median home, that works out to an effective rate of 0.90% once the local assessment base and millage are combined.
Decision signal 4
Income and the tax bill sit in the middle band
Property taxes in Salem city run within the commonly cited 2%-4% national benchmark, at about 3.5% of the $66,725 median household income.
Informational notice
Figures describe the median homeowner household in Salem city as reported to the Census Bureau; your parcel can differ. Not tax, legal, or financial advice: check the county assessor or a qualified professional before decisions that depend on these numbers.
The rate held while the market moved
Salem city sits in the quarter of U.S. counties whose effective rate moved least over this span: 5.8% down, against a median home value that rose 29.3%.
A near-steady rate on a moving market passes that movement straight through: the median bill rose 21.8%, from $1,902 to $2,316.
Effective rate is the published median bill divided by the published median home value, so the two multiply back to the bill exactly; the rate's movement here is derived from those two figures rather than read from the rounded published rate. Both are ACS 5-year survey estimates for the median owner-occupied household, compared across non-overlapping releases. They describe what the Census published, not a local policy, assessment, or exemption change.
How to read this county's bill
Bills rose across 2020-2024, from $1,902 to $2,316, a gain of 22%. This is a comparison of published ACS medians, not an explanation of a particular property's assessment or tax bill.
The plurality of owner-occupied homes here falls in the $2,000 to $2,999 band, at 1,988 of 6,441 (30.9%). This shows the reported distribution around the county median, while individual assessments can vary.
Both the income and the rate here sit in the third quarter nationally, and the median bill is 3.5% of median household income. Two above-average figures pulling in opposite directions is why the rate on its own is a poor guide.
The share above is the median annual bill divided by median household income, a ratio of two county-level medians rather than a household-by-household figure.
What Salem city Homeowners Actually Pay
The single largest group of Salem city homeowners, 1,988 of 6,441 owner-occupied homes (30.9%), pays $2,000 to $2,999 a year. The median is one point in this spread, not a typical bill.
- Less than $800 9.2% (593)
- $800 to $1,499 12.4% (797)
- $1,500 to $1,999 16.1% (1,040)
- $2,000 to $2,999 30.9% (1,988)
- $3,000 or more 26.4% (1,698)
Census ACS 2024, table B25102. Bands and the no-tax share sum to 100%.
325 homes here (5.0%) report no real estate tax at all. Exemptions are set by state: how Virginia handles assessments and appeals.
With vs Without Mortgage
In Salem city, mortgaged homeowners actually pay 10% less than those without a mortgage, a mild inversion from the national norm worth cross-checking against the historical table above.
Salem city's effective rate vs peers
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value), ACS 2024.
Salem city's effective rate is higher than 87% of the 133 counties in Virginia - ranking #17 of 133.
Where Salem city sits among every U.S. county
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value)
0.90% more affordable than 43% of 3,135 U.S. counties
Show national distribution
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more U.S. counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2024
A high rate, a smaller bill
Salem city taxes property at 0.90%, about 23% above the Virginia average, yet its median bill of $2,316 lands roughly 17% below it. The effective rate is the bill divided by the home's value, so a county can only sit on opposite sides of the state average this way when its homes are worth materially less than the state norm. The rate is the policy; the bill is what the housing market does with it.
Salem city vs Benchmarks
| Metric | Salem city | Virginia Avg | U.S. Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Annual Tax Above-median bill | |||
| Effective Tax Rate Above-median rate | |||
| Median Home Value | |||
| Tax as % of income Heavy income burden | 3.5% | - | - |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates. Tax-burden differences across rows reflect millage decisions, assessment-ratio practices, and the residential-vs-commercial mix of each tax base.
Salem city is UNDER · MID on ACS medians, still verify your parcel card before quoting the county figure. Estimate appeal savings · Virginia counties.
Salem city rate trail · UNDER
| Year | Median Tax (vs prior release) | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,316 +3.8% | 0.90% |
| 2023 | $2,232 +0.6% | 0.91% |
| 2022 | $2,219 +10.8% | 0.96% |
| 2021 | $2,003 +5.3% | 0.97% |
| 2020 | $1,902 | 0.95% |
Each row is a separate ACS 5-year release, and consecutive releases share four of their five survey years. The percentage beside each bill is therefore movement in the published estimate against the previous release, not a single year's tax change. The two releases largely describe the same households. For change over time, compare releases that do not overlap.
Salem city: tax-to-income at 3.5%
Counties near Salem city's effective rate
On effective rate, Salem city sits nearest San Saba County (TX), Polk County (TX), Umatilla County (OR).
On published median-tax change, the nearest matches are O'Brien County (IA), Clare County (MI), Howell County (MO).
How peers are chosen
These are the nearest cross-state matches in the published Census data, not neighboring counties or recommendations. Peers are rebuilt with each data release; see the calculation method.
Similar effective rates
Similar published median-tax changes, 2020–2024
Salem city: only 6% of returns show Schedule A real-estate tax
Tax year 2022: 700 of 11,970 returns from Salem city reported real estate taxes, averaging $4,264 - 39% of those reporters sat in the $100-200k AGI band.
What this IRS county file does not say
Amounts are reported before the SALT cap, not deducted; the share is of filers, not homeowners. Source: IRS SOI county data, tax year 2022.
Other Counties in Virginia
Salem city rate FAQs
- What is the tax affordability score for Salem city?
- Salem city, Virginia scores D (42/100) on PlainPropertyTax's tax affordability composite across 5 Census ACS dimensions (effective rate, bill size, income share, mortgage gap, and home-value/income). Its strongest scored dimension here is mortgage premium at A+ ($-251). The score compares published county medians to U.S. percentiles, it is not a personal bill and not advice to buy, sell, appeal, or relocate.
- What is the average property tax in Salem city, Virginia?
- The median annual property tax in Salem city is $2,316, an effective rate of 0.90% on a $258,600 median home (Census ACS, 2024).
- How does Salem city property tax compare to the national average?
- Property taxes in Salem city run notably higher than the national median of $1,993, an effective rate of 0.90% versus 0.92% nationally.
- Are property taxes increasing in Salem city?
- The ACS median property-tax bill for Salem city jumped 21.8% between the 2020 and 2024 5-year releases, from $1,902 to $2,316, a 4-year span. These are survey estimates covering five years each, so this compares the two releases furthest apart rather than consecutive ones, which overlap and would mostly measure the same households twice.
- What percentage of income goes to property taxes in Salem city?
- Property taxes in Salem city run within the commonly cited 2%-4% national benchmark, at about 3.5% of the $66,725 median household income.
What to do with Salem city's UNDER rate
At Salem city's 0.90% effective rate, a $258,600 home implies about $2,316/yr - plug in your own assessed value rather than quoting the county median. Estimate your bill →
Salem city ranks #17 of 133 Virginia counties by effective rate - on the higher-burden half of the state ACS set. Virginia overview →
Nationwide peers by effective rate (then bill)
Rate-first peers for Salem city's UNDER effective rate, then a disjoint out-of-state bill set so the two neighborhoods stay distinct.
Similar effective rate
Nearest out-of-state counties by ACS effective rate. This county: 0.90%.
Similar median bill
Nearest out-of-state counties by ACS median annual tax. This county: $2,316/yr. Rate peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Read with Salem city
Nearest ABS(median_tax) ACS peers for Salem city (UNDER · MID), replacing the old fixed Keep exploring strip.
UNDER MID
Tulare County, CA
ABS(median_tax) peer · $2,318/yr (near-tied bill ABS $2); rate 0.70% vs Salem city 0.90%.
Hamlin County, SD
ABS(median_tax) peer · $2,313/yr (near-tied bill ABS $3); rate 1.11% vs Salem city 0.90%.
Stillwater County, MT
ABS(median_tax) peer · $2,319/yr (near-tied bill ABS $3); rate 0.57% vs Salem city 0.90%.
Cascade County, MT
ABS(median_tax) peer · $2,320/yr (near-tied bill ABS $4); rate 0.87% vs Salem city 0.90%.
Virginia county set
State ACS overview for every published Virginia county rate and median bill.
Assessment cycle basics
Salem city stamps UNDER · MID - how assessed value and millage become the ACS median bill.
Data vintage and method
Data as of 2024. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.
Property tax data reflects median amounts paid by homeowners. Effective rates are calculated as median tax divided by median home value.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, county median real-estate taxes · 2024 Salem city (UNDER · MID) - ACS medians, not a parcel bill.