Salem is a city in Roanoke County, Virginia, home to about 25,618 people across 15 square miles. Its ZIP code is 24153.
Homes sold for a median of $157 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 | Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO)82 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA)6 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Winston-Salem, NC82 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA326 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 25,346 residents in the 2020 census, up 2% since 2000.
It’s the 45th largest of 669 towns in Virginia by population.
Roanoke County grew from 15,837 residents in 1900 to 96,929 in 2020.
Roanoke 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 29°F. About 43 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 15 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Roanoke Rgnl Ap, VA weather station (6 miles away).
31,143 jobs at 2,145 businesses in Roanoke County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
984 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Salem.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 108 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 249 |
| Dentists | 37 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 192 |
| Mental health providers | 269 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 101 |
| Optometrists | 14 |
| Chiropractors | 14 |
| Pharmacies | 17 |
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 (10 nearby)
Grocery stores (5 nearby)
Pharmacies (4 nearby)
Libraries (2 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 2.5 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.
Public schools here are run by Salem City Public Schools, Roanoke County Public Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Salem ElementarySalem | Pre-K–5 | 378 | Public | 2.4 mi |
| Fort Lewis ElementarySalem | Pre-K–5 | 250 | Public | 2.4 mi |
| G.W. Carver ElementarySalem | Pre-K–5 | 404 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Glenvar ElementarySalem | Pre-K–5 | 372 | Public | 3.8 mi |
| Mason's Cove ElementarySalem | Pre-K–5 | 204 | Public | 5.5 mi |
| South Salem ElementarySalem | Pre-K–5 | 371 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| West Salem ElementarySalem | Pre-K–5 | 375 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Virginia Virtual Academy at SalemSalem | K–12 | 415 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Andrew Lewis MiddleSalem | 6–8 | 839 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Glenvar MiddleSalem | 6–8 | 433 | Public | 3.8 mi |
| Glenvar HighSalem | 9–12 | 620 | Public | 3.8 mi |
| Salem HighSalem | 9–12 | 1,202 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Burton Center for Arts and TechnologySalem | — | — | Career and Technical | 2.4 mi |
| Governor's STEM Academy at the Burton Center for Arts and TeSalem | — | — | Career and Technical | 2.4 mi |
| Salem AlternativeSalem | — | — | Alternative Education | 0.9 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem Montessori SchoolSalem | Pre-K–8 | 47 | Nonsectarian | 1.8 mi |
| Hopetree AcademySalem | 7–12 | 34 | Nonsectarian | 1.4 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Glenvar.
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.