Map the Block › Places › New Jersey › Salem County
Salem County, New Jersey: crime rate, income and local data
Salem County averaged 2.8 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year in 2021-2025, 32% higher than the New Jersey rate (2.1). The median household earns $79,960 and the unemployment rate was 6.1% in August 2026. It is home to roughly 65,275 residents.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Salem County?
From 2021 through 2025, Salem County averaged 179 reported violent crimes a year, along with 790 property crimes. The violent rate, 2.8 per 1,000 people, is 32% higher than the New Jersey rate (2.1); nationally it is 3.7. Property crime ran at 12.2 per 1,000, against 13.5 statewide. Aggravated assaults make up 72% of the violent total. CDC death records show about 7 homicide deaths a year in the county (10.4 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Salem County | Per 1,000 | New Jersey per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 179 | 2.8 | 2.1 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 3 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 23 | 0.35 | 0.17 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 25 | 0.38 | 0.47 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 128 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 790 | 12.2 | 13.5 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 122 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 603 | 9.3 | 10.5 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 65 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (8 agencies; 99% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Salem County?
Half of households in Salem County make more than $79,960 and half make less; across New Jersey the midpoint is $103,556. The typical owner-occupied home is valued at $239,500 by its owners; renters pay a median $1,253. 12.5% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 9.1%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 6.1% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 1,896 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Salem County | New Jersey | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 65,275 | 9,343,809 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $79,960 | $103,556 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $239,500 | $454,400 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,253 | $1,720 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 7.4% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 12.7% | 9.7% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 12.5% | 9.1% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 25.0% | 43.6% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 71.0% | 63.8% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 41.9 | 40.1 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 89.9% | 92.8% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 4.7% | 7.5% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Salem County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Salem County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively Low”. Of the seven hazards on our map, FEMA rates these highest: coastal flooding (Very High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists 1 active Superfund site (final or proposed) in Salem County: Nl Industries. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
The National Inventory of Dams lists 1 high-hazard dam in Salem County. 1 is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition. Tallest on the list: Elkinton Pond Dam (20 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
9 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 482,929 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Salem County was covered by 2 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Hurricane 2), not counting COVID-19. Of 15 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 16 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 1 pedestrian.
Is there road construction in Salem County?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 15 highway work zones in Salem County (all active that day). Where crews are working: US 130 (North of CR 618/Hollywood Av), I-295/US 40/New Jersey Turnpike and East of CR 551/South Hook Rd. 8 are on interstates. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Salem County?
Salem County has 33 public schools (2024-25) and 1 private school (2023-24) in federal school lists. 3 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 23 fire or EMS stations and 9 police or sheriff stations. 2 state parks or recreation areas: Parvin State Park and Stow Creek State Park.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Salem County
Gun shops
One gun shop with a public storefront is on the map in Salem County, plus 5 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). On the ATF list: Salem Boat Exchange (Pennsville).
Liquor stores
11 liquor stores are on the map in Salem County: Andy's Liquor (Penns Grove), Colonial Liquor Store (Penns Grove), Fornaro's Wine and Spirits (Pennsville), Inky's Discount Liquors (Penns Grove), J-Tee's Liquors, Wines, and Beer (Pennsville), Kurt's Package Store (Elsinboro Twp), Kurt’s Package Store Liquor (Salem), Rt 40 Liquor (Elmer) and 3 more. New Jersey has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Salem County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Salem County?
Salem County averaged 179 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 2.8 per 1,000 residents, 32% higher than the New Jersey rate (2.1). The property-crime rate was 12.2 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Salem County?
$79,960 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $103,556 for New Jersey and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Salem County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 6.1% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 1,896 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Salem County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Salem County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively Low”. Of the seven hazards on our map, FEMA rates these highest: coastal flooding (Very High).
Are there Superfund sites in Salem County?
EPA lists 1 active Superfund site (final or proposed) in Salem County: Nl Industries.
Is there road construction in Salem County right now?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 15 highway work zones in Salem County (all active that day). Where crews are working: US 130 (North of CR 618/Hollywood Av), I-295/US 40/New Jersey Turnpike and East of CR 551/South Hook Rd. 8 are on interstates.
How many nursing homes are in Salem County?
3 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Salem County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland County | 153,305 | 4.3 | $67,436 |
| Delaware County, PA | 579,222 | 2.0 | $89,546 |
| Gloucester County | 306,954 | 1.2 | $105,115 |
| New Castle County, DE | 577,961 | 3.2 | $91,166 |
More: New Jersey statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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