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Salem, OR Rent Affordability Calculator

The median rent in the Salem, OR area is $1,399 a month including utilities, which takes 21% of the median household income ($78,900). Paying it on 30% of income needs about $55,960 a year.

On $79,000 a year, 30% of income is $1,975 a month for rent. A $1,400 rent takes 21.3% of gross income; many landlords want income of 40 times the rent, $56,000.

Rent you can afford
$1,975 a month
That rent takes
21.3% of income
Income a landlord may ask for (40× rent)
$56,000

Rent you can afford in Salem, OR by income (30% rule)

IncomeAffordable rentAgainst the median rent
$40,000$1,000−28.5%
$60,000$1,5007.2%
$80,000$2,00043.0%
$100,000$2,50078.7%
$150,000$3,750168.0%

How this calculator works

Median gross rent and median household income for the Salem, OR metropolitan area, from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Affordable rent is 30% of gross monthly income.

What it assumes

  • Medians across all rentals, of every size and age; new listings usually ask more.

Questions people ask

What is the average rent in Salem, OR?

The median gross rent is $1,399 a month, including utilities (Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What salary do I need to live in Salem, OR?

To rent at the median on 30% of income, about $55,960 a year; many landlords ask for 40 times the rent, $55,960.

Is rent affordable in Salem, OR?

The median rent takes 21% of the median household income there, within the 30% guideline.

How does the cost of living in Salem, OR compare?

Overall prices are 3.6% above the US average, and housing 10.3% above (BEA, 2024).

Nearby and large metro areas

Related calculators

  • Rent Affordability CalculatorThe rent your income supports under the 30% guideline, what a given rent takes of your pay, and the income landlords often ask for, with median rents in large metro areas.
  • Salem, OR Cost of Living CalculatorPrices in the Salem, OR area are 3.6% above the US average, and housing 10.3% above (BEA, 2024). Compare a salary here with anywhere else.
  • Rent vs Buy CalculatorWhether buying or renting leaves you better off after the years you plan to stay, counting mortgage interest, tax, upkeep, selling costs and what a renter earns investing the down payment.

Sources

Updated by the RateHerald team. The maths is tested against worked examples; report a problem.