HomeNew JerseySalem County
Salem County, New Jersey: commercial real estate data.
Salem County, New Jersey has a population of 65,275 across 332 square miles, up 1.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $7.36 bn in 2024, 1,137 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 68 7(a) approvals worth $38.0 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Salem County
How many people live in Salem County
- Population65,275
- Households24,846
- Average household size2.63
- Median household income$79,960
- Median age41.9
- Median gross rent$1,253 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$239,500
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher25.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over45,940
- Population under 1814,314
- Share under 1821.9 percent
- Population 65 and over12,459
- Share 65 and over19.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6438,502
- Civilian labor force31,772
- Unemployment rate7.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over62.3 percent
- Rank by population among New Jersey counties21st of 21
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents843rd
Salem County is the 21st largest of 21 New Jersey counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.9 percent against 19.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Salem County
Is Salem County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.61 percent
- Census 2020 base population64,830
- Births, 2024755
- Deaths, 2024722
- Natural change, 202433
- Net domestic migration, 2024325
- Net international migration, 202490
- Total net migration, 2024415
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,224
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1297th
The county has grown 1.61 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Salem County
Where people moving to Salem County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,662
- People arriving, from those returns2,934
- Adjusted gross income arriving$104.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$63,058
- Largest single originSalem County Non-migrants (24,469 households)
- Largest single destination (24,469 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salem County Non-migrants | 24,469 | 48,759 | $2.00 bn |
| Gloucester County | 418 | 744 | $27.8 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 405 | 686 | $23.3 m |
| Cumberland County | 211 | 407 | $18.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 194 | 324 | $10.8 m |
| Camden County | 170 | 305 | $9.6 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 149 | 259 | $9.3 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 120 | 200 | $6.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Salem County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Salem County
What the Salem County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$7.36 bn
- County GDP, 2023$7.10 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.7 percent
- GDP change over five years27.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among New Jersey counties19th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents563rd
- GDP per resident$112,806
Output grew 3.7 percent in the latest year and 27.4 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Salem County
Who employs people in Salem County
- Covered employment, annual average21,587
- Establishments reporting1,492
- Average annual pay$67,562
- Average weekly wage$1,299
- Sector 48-49, employment3,798
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$55,848
- Sector 62, employment2,768
- Sector 62, average annual pay$69,493
- Sector 44-45, employment1,853
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,918
- Sector 72, employment1,255
- Sector 72, average annual pay$23,726
- Sector 54, employment639
- Sector 81, employment485
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 48-49 | 3,798 | 63 | $55,848 |
| Sector 62 | 2,768 | 372 | $69,493 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,853 | 149 | $35,918 |
| Sector 72 | 1,255 | 96 | $23,726 |
| Sector 54 | 639 | 66 | $96,376 |
| Sector 81 | 485 | 113 | $40,691 |
| Sector 71 | 246 | 16 | $23,475 |
| Sector 61 | 215 | 18 | $65,569 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 3,798 jobs, 17.6 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Salem County
What businesses operate in Salem County
- Establishments, all industries1,137
- Employment at those establishments17,630
- Annual payroll$1.14 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Salem County
What is being built in Salem County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202464
- Declared construction value permitted$15.1 m
- Single family units authorised64
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$236,105
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.6
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Salem County
How much SBA lending happens in Salem County
- 7(a) approvals recorded68
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$38.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$558,671
- Median 7(a) approval$200,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,393,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)394
- Jobs per approval5.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active26
- Distinct industries receiving approvals46
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer22.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms15
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter47
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals2.9 percent
- Leading industry by approval countResidential Remodelers (5)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (23)
- 504 approvals recorded6
- 504 gross approval dollars$6.7 m
- Average 504 approval$1,117,333
- Median 504 approval$824,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval12.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.2
- Most active CDCTrenton Business Assistance Corporation (6)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals91.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$44.7 m
The average approval of $558,671 sits well above the median of $200,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 22.1 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Salem County
Do SBA loans in Salem County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded15
- Paid in full14
- Charged off1
- Charge off rate on resolved loans6.7 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure39
- Status: Paid in full14
- Status: Cancelled10
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed4
Of the 15 loans that have reached a final outcome, 6.7 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Salem County
Which parts of Salem County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending12
- ELMER, approvals13
- PILESGROVE, approvals10
- PENNSVILLE, approvals9
- PEDRICKTOWN, approvals9
- Salem, approvals8
- Woodstown, approvals6
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| ELMER | 13 | $10,259,000 |
| PILESGROVE | 10 | $4,942,400 |
| PENNSVILLE | 9 | $3,546,500 |
| PEDRICKTOWN | 9 | $5,639,000 |
| Salem | 8 | $2,736,500 |
| Woodstown | 6 | $2,000,000 |
| CARNEYS POINT | 4 | $6,633,000 |
| Pittsgrove | 2 | $300,000 |
ELMER accounts for 13 approvals against 10 in PILESGROVE. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Salem County
How big is Salem County
- Land area332 sq mi
- Rank by land area among New Jersey counties10th of 21
- Width, east to west26.5 mi
- Height, north to south27.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land197
- Establishments per square mile3.42
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Salem County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Salem County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population65,275
- Households24,846
- Average household size2.63
- Median household income$79,960
- Median age41.9
Common questions
Salem County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Salem County, New Jersey?
65,275, in 24,846 households, ranking 21st of 21 New Jersey counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Salem County growing?
The population has grown 1.61 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 755 births against 722 deaths, with net migration of 415. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Salem County?
$79,960. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $239,500, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $1,253 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Salem County?
1,137 establishments, employing 17,630 people with an annual payroll of $1.14 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Salem County?
Average annual pay is $67,562, or $1,299 a week, across 21,587 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Salem County?
68 7(a) approvals totalling $38.0 m since FY2020, across 26 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000, plus 6 504 approvals worth $6.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Salem County get paid back?
Of the 15 loans that have reached a final outcome, 14 were paid in full and 1 charged off, a charge off rate of 6.7 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Salem County?
64 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $15.1 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Salem County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Salem County come from?
The largest single origin is Salem County Non-migrants, with 24,469 households. Arriving households report an average income of $63,058 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Salem County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Salem County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.