| Salem, Illinois | |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Mapsize: | 260px |
| Pushpin Map: | USA |
| Pushpin Label Position: | top |
| Pushpin Label: | Salem |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in the United States |
| Coordinates: | 38.6278°N -88.9592°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Illinois |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Marion |
| Subdivision Type3: | Townships |
| Subdivision Name3: | Salem, Tonti |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Nicolas Farley [1] |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [2] |
| Area Total Km2: | 18.51 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 7.15 |
| Area Land Km2: | 18.11 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 6.99 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.40 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.15 |
| Elevation Ft: | 545 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Footnotes: | [3] |
| Population Total: | 7282 |
| Population Density Km2: | 402.18 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 1041.62 |
| Timezone1: | CST |
| Utc Offset1: | -6 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | -5 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 62881 |
| Area Code: | 618 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 17-67236 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 2396526 |
| Blank2 Name Sec2: | Wikimedia Commons |
| Blank2 Info Sec2: | Salem, Illinois |
| Blank3 Name: | Public Transit |
| Blank3 Info: | South Central Transit |
Salem is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Illinois, United States.[4] The population was 7,282 at the 2020 census.[3]
Salem was founded in 1823 as the county seat of the newly formed Marion County. It is situated halfway between the Indiana and Missouri borders on what was originally the Vincennes-St. Louis Road, now U.S. Highway 50.[5]
Salem was formerly a sundown town. For decades, Salem had signs on each main road going into town telling African Americans that they were not allowed in town after sundown.[6]
In the late 1930s, production increased in local oil fields, leading to a significant population increase in the city.[7]
Salem is located in central Marion County. U.S. Route 50 passes through the city center as Main Street, leading east to Flora and west to Carlyle. Illinois Route 37 (Broadway) crosses US 50 in the center of town, leading north 7miles to Alma and south to Dix. Interstate 57 passes through the west side of Salem, with access from Exit 116 (US 50); the Interstate leads northeast to Effingham and south to Mount Vernon.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Salem has a total area of 7.15sqmi, of which 6.99sqmi are land and 0.16sqmi, or 2.17%, are water.[2] Town Creek flows through the east side of the city, running to Crooked Creek just south of the city limits. Via Crooked Creek, Salem is part of the Kaskaskia River watershed.
At the 2000 census there were 7,909 people in 3,249 households, including 2,082 families, in the city. The population density was 1296.5sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 3,473 housing units at an average density of 569.3sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the city was 97.13% White, 0.72% African American, 0.30% Native American, 1.15% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.72%.[8]
Of the 3,249 households, 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 32.3% of households were one person and 17.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.91.
The age distribution was 23.5% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
The median household income was $34,339 and the median family income was $42,070. Males had a median income of $31,811 versus $21,931 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,954. About 6.1% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.
Public schools:
Salem is home to four buildings on the National Register of Historic Places: the Charles and Naomi Bachmann House, the Badollet House, the William Jennings Bryan Boyhood Home, and Grace Methodist Church.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered an address on May 3, 1934, dedicating a statue of William Jennings Bryan created by Gutzon Borglum. The statue originally stood in Washington, D.C., but was displaced by highway construction in 1961 and moved to Salem, Bryan's birthplace, with formal Congressional approval in 1974.[11]