HomeNew JerseySalem County
Salem County, New Jersey: commercial real estate data.
Salem County, New Jersey had an estimated 65,874 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.6 percent since the 2020 census base of 64,830, across 332 square miles. 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 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Salem County
How many people live in Salem County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202465,275
- 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-equivalents, Puerto Rico included843rd of 3,222
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 affordable 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's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202465,874
- Census 2020 base population64,830
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.61 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024445
- 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 of 3,144
The county has grown 1.61 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Salem County
Where are people moving to Salem County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,662
- People arriving, from those returns2,934
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,511
- Net household movement151
- Adjusted gross income arriving$104.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$8.6 m
- Average income of an arriving household$63,058
- Average income of a leaving household$63,666
- Largest single originGloucester County (418 households)
- Largest single destinationGloucester County (296 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gloucester County | 418 | 744 | $27.8 m |
| Cumberland County | 211 | 407 | $18.4 m |
| Camden County | 170 | 305 | $9.6 m |
| Philadelphia County | 104 | 190 | $5.9 m |
| New Castle County | 95 | 145 | $5.3 m |
| Burlington County | 51 | 101 | $3.5 m |
| Delaware County | 51 | 96 | $2.3 m |
| Atlantic County | 37 | 60 | $1.9 m |
Households arriving report $608 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Gloucester County, 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 is the Salem County economy?
- 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 the New Jersey areas BEA publishes19th of 21
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes563rd of 3,127
- 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
Employment by industry in Salem County
- Covered employment, annual average21,587
- Establishments reporting1,492
- Average annual pay$67,562
- Average weekly wage$1,299
- Transportation and warehousing, employment3,798
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$55,848
- Health care and social assistance, employment2,768
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$69,493
- Retail trade, employment1,853
- Retail trade, average annual pay$35,918
- Accommodation and food services, employment1,255
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$23,726
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment639
- Other services, except public administration, employment485
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation and warehousing | 3,798 | 63 | $55,848 |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,768 | 372 | $69,493 |
| Retail trade | 1,853 | 149 | $35,918 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,255 | 96 | $23,726 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 639 | 66 | $96,376 |
| Other services, except public administration | 485 | 113 | $40,691 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 246 | 16 | $23,475 |
| Educational services | 215 | 18 | $65,569 |
Transportation and warehousing is the largest private sector at 3,798 jobs, 17.6 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Salem County
How many businesses are 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. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Salem County
Building permits in Salem County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202464
- Declared construction value permitted$15.1 m
- Single family units authorized64
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$236,105
- Units authorized per 1,000 households2.6
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Salem County
SBA loans in Salem County (7(a) and 504)
- 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$1,375,500
- 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$684,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval12.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.2
- Most active CDCTrenton Business Assistance Corporation (6)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$44.7 m
The average approval of $558,671 sits well above the median of $200,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here 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
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Salem County
Do SBA loans in Salem County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded15
- Paid in full14
- Charged off1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure39
- Status: Paid in full14
- Status: Cancelled10
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed4
Only 15 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Salem County
SBA lending by place in Salem County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending12
- Elmer, approvals13
- Pilesgrove, approvals10
- Pedricktown, approvals9
- Pennsville, approvals9
- Salem, approvals8
- Woodstown, approvals6
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Elmer | 13 | $10,259,000 |
| Pilesgrove | 10 | $4,942,400 |
| Pedricktown | 9 | $5,639,000 |
| Pennsville | 9 | $3,546,500 |
| Salem | 8 | $2,736,500 |
| Woodstown | 6 | $2,000,000 |
| Carneys Point | 4 | $6,633,000 |
| Bridgeton | 2 | $935,000 |
| 4 other borrower cities | 7 | $1,298,200 |
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 large 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 boundary3
- 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.
Salem County
Flood risk in Salem County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book15
- Of those, participating in the NFIP15
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 8
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Salem County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The EPA places Salem County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 8, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
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.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202465,275
- 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?
The Census Bureau estimates 65,874 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 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's population growing?
The population has grown 1.61 percent since the 2020 census base of 64,830, to 65,874 on July 1, 2024. 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 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 employment by industry in Salem County?
Transportation and warehousing is the largest private sector at 3,798 jobs, 17.6 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 21,587 jobs at an average annual pay of $67,562, or $1,299 a week. 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 totaling $38.0 m since FY2020, across 26 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000, plus 6 504 approvals worth $6.7 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Salem County?
64 housing units were authorized 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 Gloucester County, with 418 households. Arriving households report an average income of $63,058 against $63,666 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?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Salem County
Cities and places in Salem.
12 Census places lie wholly or partly in Salem County. All 12 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsville | CDP | 12,233 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Carneys Point | CDP | 8,050 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Salem | city | 5,322 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Penns Grove | borough | 4,882 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Woodstown | borough | 3,715 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Olivet | CDP | 1,573 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Alloway | CDP | 1,455 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Elmer | borough | 1,176 | 13 | Wholly in this county |
| Auburn | CDP | 1,100 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Quinton | CDP | 432 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pedricktown | CDP | 424 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Hancocks Bridge | CDP | 320 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 17 of the county's 68 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Salem County, the largest being Pilesgrove (10), Bridgeton (2), Monroeville (2). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
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