Salem vs Tacoma
The short version
- Salem is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 7% lower than in the Tacoma area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $416,900 in Salem and $479,600 in Tacoma.
- Households earn more in Tacoma ($85,884 vs $75,487 median).
- Commutes are shorter in Salem (22 vs 29 minutes each way).
- Washington has no state income tax on wages; Oregon's top rate is 9.9%.
Side by side
| Salem, OR | Tacoma, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 181,779 | 229,816 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3.6% | +4.6% |
| People per square mile | 3,714 | 4,622 |
| Median age | 36.0 | 37.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32% | 35% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $75,487 | $85,884 |
| Median home value | $416,900 | $479,600 |
| Home value to income | 5.5× | 5.6× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,400 | $1,676 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.6 | 111.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 110.3 | 151.3 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,700 | $83,300 |
| Homeowners | 56% | 56% |
| Top state income tax | 9.9% | None |
| Combined sales tax | 0% | 9.57% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.0 | 28.8 |
| Work from home | 16% | 16% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 4% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| Poverty rate | 14.4% | 12.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 48° / 36° | 48° / 38° |
| July high / low | 84° / 55° | 77° / 57° |
| Precipitation per year | 40 in | 39 in |
| Snowfall per year | 1 in | 6 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 18 | 4 |
| Nights below freezing | 49 | 25 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 95.5 | 98.5 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 80% | 56% |
| Home prices, past year | -0.2% | +1.9% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +27.7% | +28.5% |
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: Salem: May to October. Tacoma: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Salem weather by month and Tacoma weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $77,700 in Salem and $83,300 in Tacoma. Moving from Salem to Tacoma, you would need about $80,400 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Salem and Tacoma
75people moved from Marion County, OR to Pierce County, WA in a year
74moved the other way
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Salem and Tacoma.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.