Salem is a city in Marion County, Illinois, home to about 7,236 people across 7.0 square miles. Its ZIP code is 62881.
Homes sold for a median of $102 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Salem. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Salem’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL)77 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Scott AFB/Midamerica Airport (BLV)48 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | St. Louis, MO70 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL231 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Salem; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Salem had 7,282 residents in the 2020 census, down 8% since 2000.
It’s the 277th largest of 1,450 towns in Illinois by population.
Marion County grew from 30,446 residents in 1900 to 37,729 in 2020.
Marion County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 88°F in summer, and winter lows average 21°F. About 45.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 10 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Salem, IL weather station (about a mile away).
11,370 jobs at 863 businesses in Marion County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
88 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Salem.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 12 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 9 |
| Dentists | 6 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 26 |
| Mental health providers | 9 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 13 |
| Optometrists | 7 |
| Chiropractors | 6 |
| Pharmacies | 5 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (4 nearby)
Grocery stores (2 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 2 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Selmaville CCSD 10, Salem SD 111, Salem CHSD 600. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selmaville Elem SchoolSalem | Pre-K–8 | 223 | Public | 3.8 mi |
| Hawthorn Elem SchoolSalem | K–3 | 421 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Franklin Park Middle SchoolSalem | 4–8 | 528 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Salem Community High SchoolSalem | 9–12 | 706 | Public | 0.8 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.