Browse / United States / North Carolina / Salem
Salem
North CarolinaCDP
Salem
Total population
2,377
Median home value
$159,100
Bachelor's+
Median income
$68,988
Demographic figures from US Census Bureau · ACS 5-year estimates. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.
City facts
Facts from Wikidata (CC0).
Overview
Salem is a census-designated place (CDP) in Burke County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Salem had a population of 2,356. It is part of the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Read more on WikipediaHistory & geography
History
Gilboa Methodist Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Geography
Salem is located in central Burke County. It is bordered to the north by the city of Morganton, the county seat. U.S. Route 64 (Burkemont Avenue) is the main road through the community, leading north into Morganton and southwest to Rutherfordton. Interstate 40 passes along the northern edge of the CDP, with access from Exit 103 (US-64). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , all land.
Excerpted from the corresponding Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).
Demographics & economy
Race & ethnicity
Source: US Census Bureau — American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.
Geography
Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.
Climate
Current forecast
Forecast for Salem, NC from NOAA NWS API.
Air quality
Industrial & pollution facilities
Natural hazard risk
Health (adults)
Age-adjusted prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES (latest release).
Walkability
Amenities nearby
Wildlife & biodiversity
Most-observed species
- Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves1,663
- Carolina WrenThryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves1,494
- American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves1,483
- Tufted TitmouseBaeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves1,471
- Carolina ChickadeePoecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves1,443
- Blue JayCyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves1,065
- Eastern BluebirdSialia sialis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves988
- Red-bellied WoodpeckerMelanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves907
Citizen-science & research observations from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).
Schools
Largest nearby schools
- Freedom HighHigh · Morganton · 1,414 students · 19.4:1 ratio
- Robert L. Patton High SchoolHigh · Morganton · 752 students · 19.3:1 ratio
- Jimmy C Draughn High SchoolHigh · Valdese · 682 students · 18.9:1 ratio
- Mountain View ElementaryElementary · Morganton · 677 students · 15.7:1 ratio
- New DimensionsElementary · Morganton · 535 students · 14.9:1 ratio
- Valdese ElementaryElementary · Valdese · 521 students · 16.3:1 ratio
- Table Rock MiddleMiddle · Morganton · 502 students · 16.7:1 ratio
- Walter R Johnson MiddleMiddle · Morganton · 465 students · 14.5:1 ratio
Public K–12 schools within ~10 mi from Urban Institute Education Data Portal (NCES Common Core of Data, 2022).
Earthquake history
Most recent
- M 2.73 — 2025-08-147 km N of Columbus, North Carolina
- M 2.69 — 2022-12-080 km S of Laurel Park, North Carolina
- M 2.65 — 2021-08-176 km N of Morganton, North Carolina
- M 2.79 — 2021-02-128 km SW of Banner Hill, Tennessee
- M 2.63 — 2020-10-0116 km W of Sparta, North Carolina
- M 2.51 — 2019-08-185 km SE of Marshall, North Carolina
Events from the USGS Earthquake Catalog (global) (FDSN Event Web Service).
Photos
Sights & places nearby
Notable people from here
People born within ~10 km, from Wikidata (CC0). Click any name for their Wikipedia article.
Nearby places in North Carolina
- Valdese8.1 mi away · pop. 4,704
- Gamewell12.7 mi away
- Cajah's Mountain13.9 mi away
- Rhodhiss15.7 mi away
- Glenwood16.9 mi away · pop. 226
- Granite Falls16.9 mi away
- Marion17 mi away · pop. 7,579
- Lenoir17.4 mi away
- Long View17.7 mi away
- Mountain View18.6 mi away · pop. 3,982
- Bethlehem23.8 mi away
- St. Stephens24.4 mi away · pop. 9,457
Geography & sun
Elevation, sunrise/sunset and daylight from Open-Meteo. Solar climatology from NASA POWER.
Nearby airports
Public attention
Pageview totals from the Wikimedia Pageviews API.
Books about Salem
Search results from Open Library.
Recent natural events nearby
Ground air-quality sensors
Recently spotted species
Nearest stream gauge
Live readings from USGS NWIS · measured 2026-09-22 01:15 UTC.
Events
Gallery
Sources
- • Wikipedia
- • US Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates)
- • NOAA National Weather Service
- • Wikidata
- • USGS Earthquake Catalog (global feed)
- • USGS NWIS (water data)
- • NCES via Urban Institute Education Data Portal
- • GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility)
- • CDC PLACES
- • Open-Meteo / sunrise-sunset.org
- • Wikipedia Pageviews API
- • Open Library