What is the Best Neighborhoods USA ranking for West Salem?
West Salem is ranked #1 of 18 eligible neighborhoods in Salem; #95 of 254 eligible neighborhoods in OR; and #5,575 of 14,967 eligible neighborhoods in the United States.
Neighborhood Profile
West Salem
Salem, OR | Polk County
Scored premium profile
Best Neighborhoods USA Index
55.5
Stability and Strength
57.5
Value Opportunity
57.1
Momentum
49.9
Score note: Rankings show denominators so users always see the size of the eligible cohort.
| Context | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Salem, OR |
| County | Polk County |
| National rank | #5,575 of 14,967 |
| State rank | #95 of 254 |
| City rank | #1 of 18 |
| County rank | Not available |
| National percentile | 62.8 |
| National band | MIDDLE_50_PERCENT |
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Housing and local fundamentals
| Housing and market metrics | Value |
|---|---|
| Current Zillow home value | $500,740 |
| Year-over-year home value change | 0.7% |
| Month-over-month home value change | 0.02% |
| Home value to income ratio | 4.89 |
| Median household income | $102,374 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 41.1% |
| Civilian unemployment rate | 4.9% |
| Homeownership rate | 63.9% |
| Housing vacancy rate | 5.4% |
| Rent burden 30% or higher | 50.0% |
How to read this profile
- Ranks are always shown with denominators.
- Momentum reflects both year-over-year and month-over-month housing change.
- Stability and Strength and Value Opportunity are governed composite scores.
- Identity composition is descriptive intelligence and is not a scoring component.
Questions and Answers
Questions About Living in West Salem
Is West Salem one of the best neighborhoods in Salem?
West Salem has a Best Neighborhoods USA Index of 55.5 and a city ranking of #1 of 18 eligible neighborhoods in Salem.
How much are homes worth in West Salem?
The current Zillow Home Value Index for West Salem is approximately $500,740.
Are home values rising or falling in West Salem?
Zillow neighborhood values changed 0.7% year over year and 0.02% month over month.
What is the Neighborhood Momentum Score for West Salem?
West Salem has a Neighborhood Momentum Score of 49.9. Momentum is 70% year-over-year and 30% month-over-month Zillow housing change.
What is the median household income in West Salem?
The NDS-derived neighborhood median household income is approximately $102,374.
How affordable is West Salem relative to household income?
The current Zillow home-value-to-household-income ratio is 4.89. Price-to-income affordability is a major Value Opportunity input.
Is West Salem primarily homeowners or renters?
The NDS-derived homeownership rate is approximately 63.9%.
What is the unemployment rate in West Salem?
The NDS-derived civilian unemployment rate is approximately 4.9%.
How educated are residents of West Salem?
Approximately 41.1% of residents age 25 and older are estimated to have a bachelor's degree or higher.
What share of renters in West Salem face high rent burden?
Approximately 50.0% of the applicable renter-household universe is estimated to spend 30% or more of household income on gross rent.
How does Best Neighborhoods USA score West Salem?
The overall index combines 40% Stability and Strength, 35% Value Opportunity, and 25% Momentum. Race, ethnicity, and identity composition are not scoring components.
Governed ranking context
How this neighborhood ranks
HMDA Mortgage Intelligence
Neighborhood Mortgage Market
Modeled neighborhood-level mortgage activity allocated from governed HMDA tract data using Zillow neighborhood geometry. These neighborhood values are nonadditive and do not enter the Best Neighborhoods USA Index.
Activity year2024
Estimated applications715
Estimated originations439
Home-purchase applications306
Origination rate61.3%
Home-purchase share42.8%
Average application loan$285,365
Total application loan amount$204,047,962
National application rank#312 of 14,874 rankable neighborhoods
Geometry coverage100.0%
Recent trend: Applications 11.1% YoY; originations 10.1% YoY
Mortgage methodology
HMDA is natively reported at tract and other lender-reporting geographies, not Zillow neighborhood or ZIP geography. This module uses the certified NDS HMDA-to-Zillow tract-vintage crosswalk and area-weighted allocation. Rankings require governed geometry coverage. Applicant demographics are excluded. Neighborhood values may overlap and must not be summed to reconstruct ZIP or national totals.