Providence vs Salem
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $362,200 in Providence and $416,900 in Salem.
- Households earn more in Salem ($75,487 vs $68,119 median).
- Salem has the warmer winter: January highs of 48°F vs 38°F.
- Providence gets far more snow: 37 inches a year vs 1.
- Commutes are shorter in Salem (22 vs 25 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Providence, RI | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 195,310 | 181,779 |
| Growth since 2020 | +2.3% | +3.6% |
| People per square mile | 10,611 | 3,714 |
| Median age | 32.8 | 36.0 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35% | 32% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $68,119 | $75,487 |
| Median home value | $362,200 | $416,900 |
| Home value to income | 5.3× | 5.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,408 | $1,400 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 101.8 | 103.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 103.9 | 110.3 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $76,300 | $77,700 |
| Homeowners | 41% | 56% |
| Top state income tax | 5.99% | 9.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 7% | 0% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 25.0 | 22.0 |
| Work from home | 14% | 16% |
| Take public transit | 4% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 8.2% | 5.8% |
| Poverty rate | 20.7% | 14.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 38° / 22° | 48° / 36° |
| July high / low | 84° / 65° | 84° / 55° |
| Precipitation per year | 48 in | 40 in |
| Snowfall per year | 37 in | 1 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 12 | 18 |
| Nights below freezing | 109 | 49 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 93.7 | 95.5 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 70% | 80% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.7% | -0.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +51.9% | +27.7% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Providence: May to October. Salem: May to October.
Full monthly tables: Providence weather by month and Salem weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $76,300 in Providence and $77,700 in Salem. Moving from Providence to Salem, you would need about $76,400 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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