Cost of living in Salem, West Virginia
Simple answer
Typical rent is $525 a month.
Salem is a city in West Virginia. That rent number includes utilities. A typical household earns $38,529 a year.
- People
- 1,629
- Census average, 2020–2024
- Typical rent
- $525
- Median gross rent, includes utilities
- Typical pay
- $38,529
- Median household income, yearly
- Typical home
- $77,800
- Median home value
- 2-bedroom fair rent
- $1,005
- Harrison County, WV
Salem, West Virginia has about 1,629 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.
A typical home is worth about $77,800.
HUD's fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom in Harrison County is $1,005 a month. That is the county number, not an apartment listing in Salem. It runs from October 2026 through September 2027.
West Virginia's prices sit at 89.5 when the U.S. average is 100. This place is not in a metro area with its own index, so this is the state number from BEA for 2024.
West Virginia taxes wages. A typical combined sales tax is 6.6% as of January 1, 2026. That mix is statewide, not Salem's exact store tax.
In July 2026, a typical West Virginia home paid 15.78¢ per kilowatt-hour. That is a state average from EIA, not Salem's bill.
EIA did not publish a 2025 all-grades gas price for West Virginia in the table we use.
Among 128 places we list in West Virginia with a rent figure, 123 have higher typical rent than Salem.
Nearby places
- Clarksburg
Typical rent $790
Compare with Salem - Nutter Fort
Typical rent $897
Compare with Salem - Stonewood
Typical rent $749
Compare with Salem - Shinnston
Typical rent $972
Compare with Salem - Bridgeport
Typical rent $1,105
Compare with Salem - Weston
Typical rent $770
Compare with Salem - Mannington
Typical rent $762
- Pennsboro
Typical rent $811
Compare with Salem
EBT nearby
USDA has a live map of stores that take SNAP. We did not copy that store list here. The downloadable file is a history file for 2005 through 2025, so the live map is the one to use.
Locator page updated 2026-09-11. Last checked 2026-10-16.
Food stamps (SNAP) tools in West Virginia
Bigger places in West Virginia
Census 2020-2024. HUD rents for October 2026–September 2027. BEA prices for 2024. Taxes as of January 1, 2026. Checked 2026-10-16. 15,000 places are in this guide.