Salem city, Virginia

County Distress Index: Normal · 41.4 | 25,600 people · 84th most distressed in Virginia
American Default Research

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Salem city, VA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 41.4 — 2256th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Virginia, it ranks 84th of 133 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 2 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Salem city's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 78.6 — worse than roughly 79% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 78.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 82
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 66
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 87
Homeownership Rate 88
Rent-to-Income Ratio 71
Employment & Wages 36.8
Unemployment Rate 30
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 38
Business Formation Rate 42
Debt & Delinquency 36.0
Debt in Collections 33
Medical Debt 21
Student Loan Delinquency 29
Auto Loan Delinquency 62
Credit Card Delinquency 13
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 58
Income & Poverty 34.2
Poverty Rate 24
Income vs. State Median 55
Child Poverty Rate 24
Community Vulnerability 21.6
Uninsured Rate 24
Disability Rate 20

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Salem city compares to its 2 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Salem city
Salem city, VA 41.4 Normal —
Roanoke city, VA 62.4 Elevated +21.0
Roanoke County, VA 30.3 Healthy -11.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Salem city
Morrow County, OR 41.4 Normal -0.0
Humboldt County, NV 41.5 Normal +0.0
Mono County, CA 41.4 Normal -0.0
Bryan County, GA 41.5 Normal +0.0
Hubbard County, MN 41.5 Normal +0.0

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Salem city as a CSV file.

Find Help in Salem city

Find an Attorney

Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-552-7977

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Salem city residents at no cost.

Virginia Legal Aid Society 540-342-3900
Legal Aid Justice Center 434-977-0553
Legal Services of Northern Virginia 703-778-6800
Virginia Poverty Law Center 804-782-9430
Central Virginia Legal Aid Society 804-648-1012
Blue Ridge Legal Services, Inc. (866) 534-5243
Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia (757) 827-5078
Southwest Virginia Legal Aid Society, Inc. (888) 201-2772

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Salem city, Virginia?

    Salem city has a County Distress Index score of 41.4 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,256th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 84th in Virginia out of 133 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Salem city?

    The primary driver of distress in Salem city is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 78.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Salem city compare to neighboring counties?

    Salem city (41.4) can be compared to its 2 neighboring counties: Roanoke city, VA (62.4); Roanoke County, VA (30.3).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Salem city?

    Salem city, Virginia has a population of approximately 25,600 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.