Salem, Ohio - Wikipedia

City in Ohio, United States

Salem, Ohio
City
Salem Downtown Historic District
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Coordinates: 40°54′34″N 80°51′55″W / 40.90944°N 80.86528°W / 40.90944; -80.86528
Country	United States
State	Ohio
Counties	Columbiana, Mahoning[1]
Founded	1806
Named after	Salem, New Jersey
Government
• Type	Statutory mayor-council
• Body	Salem City Council
• Mayor	Cyndi Baronzzi Dickey (R)
• Council President	Evan Newman (R)
Area[2]
• Total	6.43 sq mi (16.66 km2)
• Land	6.43 sq mi (16.66 km2)
• Water	0.0039 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation[3]	1,280 ft (390 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	11,915
• Density	1,852.9/sq mi (715.39/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	44460
Area codes	330, 234
FIPS code	39-69834[4]
GNIS feature ID	2396524[3]
School District	Salem City SD
Website	www.cityofsalemohio.org

Salem is a city in Columbiana County, Ohio, United States. The population was 11,915 at the 2020 census.[5] Salem was founded by Quakers in 1806 and served as a center of abolitionist activity and a station on the Underground Railroad. Originally an industrial town, Salem functions primarily as a residential community and regional commercial center. The city is home to Allegheny Wesleyan College and Kent State University at Salem. It is the principal city of the Salem micropolitan area, which comprises Columbiana County; a small portion of the city extends into Mahoning County.[6]

History

[edit]

Salem was founded by a New Jersey clockmaker, Zadok Street, and a Pennsylvanian potter, John Straughan, in 1806. The city was named after Salem, New Jersey, Street's native community. The name Salem itself is a biblical derivative of Jerusalem in the Middle East, which means "city of peace".[7] The city's early settlers included the Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers, which the local school district's sports teams honor by referring to themselves collectively as the Salem Quakers.[8][9] Salem was incorporated in 1830.[10]

Salem was a center of abolitionist and suffragist activity in the 19th century. The Anti-Slavery Bugle, an abolitionist newspaper, was published in Salem beginning in 1845.[11] A local group of the Progressive Friends, an association of Quakers who separated from the main body partly to be freer to work for such causes as abolitionism and women's rights, formed in Salem in 1849.[12] The local school board at that time was composed entirely of abolitionists.[13] Salem was the site of an annual conference, the Anti-Slavery Fair, whose purpose was to raise money for anti-slavery activities.[14] The Daniel Howell Hise House and John Street House were stops on the Underground Railroad.[15][16]

In April 1850, Salem hosted the first Women's Rights Convention in Ohio, the third such convention in the United States (the first two being the Seneca Falls Convention and Rochester Women's Rights Convention of 1848). The Salem Convention was the first of these conventions to be organized on a statewide basis.[17] All the convention officers were women. Men were not allowed to vote, sit on the platform, or speak during the convention. The male spectators were supportive, however, and when the convention was over, they created an organization of their own and endorsed the actions of the women's convention.[18]

Advantageously located between Cleveland and Pittsburgh, Salem thrived on an industrial-based economy in the 19th and 20th centuries. For several decades, Salem's largest employers included American Standard Brands, Eljer, Mullins Manufacturing,[19] Deming Pump, and Salem China. Today, American Standard retains production in the city, as well as the Fresh Mark meat production facility and several tool-and-die manufacturers.[20]

Geography

[edit]

Salem is located about 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Youngstown, 28 miles (45 km) east of Canton, and 60 miles (97 km) southeast of Cleveland. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 6.43 square miles (16.65 km2), all land.[21] Salem is the largest incorporated place by area in Columbiana County.

The city is mostly surrounded by unincorporated Perry Township. Salem has annexed portions of Perry Township.[22][23][24] Several acres of Salem Township and Green Township were annexed into the city limits in 2000 and 2001. Other actions to spur economic development undertaken around the same time annexed specific land: in 1999, 82.24 acres (332,800 m2) of Salem Township were granted police and fire protection, snow removal service, and other city services.[25]

Demographics

[edit] Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1840	233	—
1850	842	261.4%
1860	1,889	124.3%
1870	3,700	95.9%
1880	4,041	9.2%
1890	5,780	43.0%
1900	7,582	31.2%
1910	8,943	18.0%
1920	10,305	15.2%
1930	10,622	3.1%
1940	12,301	15.8%
1950	12,754	3.7%
1960	13,854	8.6%
1970	14,186	2.4%
1980	12,865	−9.3%
1990	12,233	−4.9%
2000	12,197	−0.3%
2010	12,303	0.9%
2020	11,915	−3.2%
[4][26][27][28]

2020 census

[edit]

As of the 2020 census, Salem had a population of 11,915 and a median age of 43.0 years. 20.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.0 males.[29]

99.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.7% lived in rural areas.[30]

There were 5,151 households in Salem, of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 38.2% were married-couple households, 21.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[29]

There were 5,704 housing units, of which 9.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.7%.[29]

Racial composition as of the 2020 census[31]

Race	Number	Percent
White	10,606	89.0%
Black or African American	158	1.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native	160	1.3%
Asian	80	0.7%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	2	0.0%
Some other race	263	2.2%
Two or more races	646	5.4%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	574	4.8%

2010 census

[edit]

As of the census[32] of 2010, there were 12,303 people, 5,272 households, and 3,118 families living in the city. The population density was 1,913.4 inhabitants per square mile (738.8/km2). There were 5,763 housing units at an average density of 896.3 per square mile (346.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 95.9% White, 0.7% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 1.6% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.5% of the population.

There were 5,272 households, of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.9% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.87.

The median age in the city was 42.8 years. 21.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.6% were from 25 to 44; 28.3% were from 45 to 64; and 19.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

2000 census

[edit]

As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 12,197 people, 5,146 households, and 3,247 families living in the city. The population density was 2,228.2 people per square mile (860.3 people/km2). There were 5,505 housing units at an average density of 1,005.7 per square mile (388.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.35% White, 0.52% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.08% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.54% of the population.

There were 5,146 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the city the population was spread out, with 22.8% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,006, and the median income for a family was $40,191. Males had a median income of $31,630 versus $19,471 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,579. About 9.8% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.9% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

[edit]

According to the Sustainable Opportunity Development Center in Salem,[33] as of 2022, the top employers in the city are:

Employer	# of Employees
Ventra Salem	825
Fresh Mark, Inc.	775
Salem Regional Medical Center	761
Walmart	320
Butech Bliss	278
American Standard Brands	272
Salem City School District	222
Hickey Metal Fabrication	176
MAC Manufacturing	172

Arts and culture

[edit]

Two neighborhoods of the city are designated as National Register historic districts: the South Lincoln Avenue Historic District (designated 1993) and the Salem Downtown Historic District (designated 1995), which includes several of the town's monumental and architecturally distinctive homes and businesses.[34] Other city properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places include the Burchfield Homestead, home to painter Charles E. Burchfield from ages 5 to 28;[35] the Daniel Howell Hise House and John Street House, both Underground Railroad stations;[15][16] and the First United Methodist Church.[34]

Government

[edit]

Salem operates under a statutory mayor–council government. Eight council members are elected as a legislature for two-year terms, which constitutes four separate wards, three at-large districts, and a council president.[36] An independently elected mayor serves as an executive.[36] As of 2026, the mayor is Cyndi Baronzzi Dickey (R) and the council president is Evan Newman (R).[37] The mayor, auditor, treasurer, and law director are all elected to four-year terms.

Education

[edit]

Children in Salem are served by the public Salem City School District, which includes three elementary schools, one junior high school, and Salem Senior High School.[a][39] The Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown operates the private St. Paul Elementary School for grades K-8.

Allegheny Wesleyan College is a private, four-year liberal arts college in Salem that grants bachelor's and associate degrees in ministry and theology-related disciplines.[40][41]

Kent State University operates a satellite campus, Kent State University at Salem, with one building in the city proper and another just outside the city limits in Salem Township. The campus grants associate's degrees and bachelor's degrees, and also offers introductory programs that can be completed at the main campus.

Transportation

[edit]

U.S. Route 62 travels around downtown Salem on an east–west route. State Route 9 runs north–south through the city and terminates at its intersection with U.S. 62. State Route 14 travels east–west through Salem, sharing a short concurrency with SR 9 and State Route 173 on State Street. SR 173's eastern terminus is in downtown Salem and travels east–west to Alliance. State Route 344's western terminus is also in downtown Salem and travels east–west to Columbiana.[42]

Notable people

[edit]

• Dustin Bates, lead singer and songwriter for Starset and formerly Downplay
• Chalkley Beeson, businessman, musician, lawman, and owner of Long Branch Saloon
• Charles Burchfield, 20th-century painter and visionary artist
• John Allen Campbell, first governor of the Wyoming Territory
• Jason Candle, NCAA football coach for the Toledo Rockets
• Joe Daley, jazz saxophonist, composer, and teacher
• Max Fisher, businessman and philanthropist, served as an advisor to U.S. presidents for Israeli connections
• Alan Freed, disc jockey who coined the term "rock and roll"[43]
• Tim Ginter, Columbiana County commissioner and former member of the Ohio House of Representatives
• Sarah Elizabeth Mitchell Guernsey, president general of the Daughters of the American Revolution
• Daniel Howell Hise, diarist and abolitionist whose home was on the Underground Railroad
• Caleb Hunt, co-founder of the Monongahela and Ohio Steam Boat Company
• Elisha Hunt, principal founder of the Monongahela and Ohio Steam Boat Company
• Rich Karlis, National Football League placekicker
• Kirk Lowdermilk, National Football League center
• Jerry Meals, Major League Baseball umpire
• Jerri Nielsen, physician who administered a biopsy and chemotherapy to herself in Antarctica
• John Hunt Painter, Quaker abolitionist who sent the firearms to John Brown for the raid on Harper's Ferry
• Marius Robinson, minister, abolitionist and editor of The Anti-Slavery Bugle
• Michael Rulli, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 6th district; former member of the Ohio Senate
• Webster Street, lawyer who served as chief justice of the Arizona Territorial Supreme Court
• Charles C. Williamson, librarian
• Lloyd Yoder, NCAA football tackle and College Football Hall of Fame inductee

See also

[edit]

• USS Salem (CM-11)

Notes

[edit]

1. ^ NCES district 3910006[38]

References

[edit]

1. ^ County Maps, State of Ohio (from Ohio Department of Transportation) http://www.dot.state.oh.us/map1/ohiomap/images/county/col.jpg Archived February 8, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, and Mahoning County map http://gis.mahoningcountyoh.gov/gis/asp.htm Archived July 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. See also http://www.mahoningcountyoh.gov
2. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
3. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Salem, Ohio
4. ^ a b c "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
5. ^ "QuickFacts: Salem city, Ohio". census.gov. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
6. ^ "COMBINED STATISTICAL AREAS AND COMPONENT CORE BASED STATISTICAL AREAS, November 2008, WITH CODES". August 2009. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
7. ^ "Salem Ohio History". Retrieved October 20, 2021.
8. ^ The girls' and boys' teams' individual mascots are known as the "Quaker Lady" (or "Quaker Sadie") and "Quaker Sam," respectively.
9. ^ The team nickname (and, possibly, the American tradition of placing the word "Fighting" in front of such nicknames) was noted by USA Today as one of several "that could be considered offensive". See "What's in a Nickname?" USA Today, October 23, 1991, Sports section, 06C.
10. ^ Mack, Horace (1879). History of Columbiana County, Ohio: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers. Unigraphic. p. 208.
11. ^ Anti-Slavery Bugle, Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress.
12. ^ Thomas, Allen C., (November 1920). "Congregational or Progressive Friends". Bulletin of Friends' Historical Society of Philadelphia, Vol. 10, No. 1. p. 28.
13. ^ Isenberg (1998), p. 216.
14. ^ "An Ohio Man's Story". St. Louis Globe-Democrat (St. Louis, Missouri). April 22, 1888. p. 32 – via newspapers.com.
15. ^ a b Thompson, Jacob (February 23, 2024). "Underground Railroad homes still exist in Salem". WKBN. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
16. ^ a b "Salem abolitionist's efforts saluted". Farm and Dairy. May 8, 2003. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
17. ^ Wellman, Judith (2008). "The Seneca Falls Women's Rights Convention and the Origin of the Women's Rights Movement", pp. 15, 84. National Park Service, Women's Rights National Historical Park. Wellman is identified as the author of this document here.
18. ^ Stanton, Elizabeth Cady; Anthony, Susan B.; Gage, Matilda Joslyn (1881). History of Woman Suffrage, p. 110. Volume 1 of 6. Rochester, NY: Susan B. Anthony (Charles Mann Press).
19. ^ "History of Mullins Manufacturing Corporation". Mahoning Valley Historical Society. February 9, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
20. ^ "FRESH MARK, INC. – Salem Area Chamber of Commerce". Retrieved February 3, 2021.
21. ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
22. ^ "Ordinance No. 990316-28". The City of Salem, Ohio. Archived from the original on August 19, 2008. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
23. ^ "Ordinance No. 000118-07". The City of Salem, Ohio. Archived from the original on August 19, 2008. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
24. ^ "City of Massillon Annexation Answer Page". 1998. Archived from the original on June 13, 2008. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
25. ^ This is understood to cover the area including the Wal-Mart Supercenter. See: ORDINANCE NO. 991103 – 74 Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, City of Salem
26. ^ "Population: Ohio" (PDF). 1930 US Census. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
27. ^ "Number of Inhabitants: Ohio" (PDF). 18th Census of the United States. U.S. Census Bureau. 1960. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
28. ^ "Ohio: Population and Housing Unit Counts" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
29. ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
30. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
31. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
32. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
33. ^ "Why Salem?". Sustainable Opportunity Development Center. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
34. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
35. ^ "Grants to cover new coat of paint for Burchfield Homestead". Salem News. March 2, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
36. ^ a b "2020 General Election Results for Columbiana County" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 8, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
37. ^ Morgan Ahart. "Salem GOP central committee selects new council president, councilman". Retrieved September 28, 2025.
38. ^ "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Salem City". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences.
39. ^ "2020 CENSUS – SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Columbiana County, OH" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
40. ^ Colleges in the Midwest. Peterson's. 2009. ISBN 9780768926903.
41. ^ The College Board College Handbook. College Board. 2009. ISBN 9780874478235.
42. ^ Ohio Department of Transportation (2015). Official Ohio Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). c. 1:570,240. Columbus: Ohio Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
43. ^ "Why Is It Called "Rock n' Roll"?". Dictionary.com. August 1, 2011. Retrieved February 3, 2021.

External links

[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Salem, Ohio. Wikisource has the text of a 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article about Salem, Ohio.

• City website
• http://www.SODCenter.com Economic Development website
• Salem Historical Society
• Salem Public Library
• Salem Chamber of Commerce
• Salem A Quaker City History

v t e Municipalities and communities of Columbiana County, Ohio, United States
County seat: Lisbon
Cities	Columbiana‡ East Liverpool Salem‡
Villages	East Palestine Hanoverton Leetonia Lisbon Minerva‡ New Waterford Rogers Salineville Summitville Washingtonville‡ Wellsville
Townships	Butler Center Elkrun Fairfield Franklin Hanover Knox Liverpool Madison Middleton Perry Salem St. Clair Unity Washington Wayne West Yellow Creek
CDPs	Calcutta Damascus‡ East Rochester Glenmoor Guilford Lake Homeworth La Croft Lake Tomahawk Negley Salem Heights
Unincorporatedcommunities	Achor Bayard Cannons Mill Chambersburg Clarkson Dungannon East Carmel East Fairfield Elkton Franklin Square Fredericktown Gavers Glasgow Highlandtown Kensington Lynchburg Middleton Mill Rock Millport Moultrie New Alexander New Garden New Middleton New Salisbury North Georgetown Reading Signal Teegarden Unionville Unity Valley West Point Williamsport Winona
Ghost town	Lucerne
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
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v t e Municipalities and communities of Mahoning County, Ohio, United States
County seat: Youngstown
Cities	Alliance‡ Campbell Canfield Columbiana‡ Salem‡ Struthers Youngstown‡
Villages	Beloit Craig Beach Lowellville New Middletown Poland Sebring Washingtonville‡
Townships	Austintown Beaver Berlin Boardman Canfield Coitsville Ellsworth Goshen Green Jackson Milton Poland Smith Springfield
CDPs	Austintown Damascus‡ East Alliance Lake Milton Maple Ridge Mineral Ridge‡ New Springfield North Lima Petersburg Woodworth
Othercommunities	Berlin Center Blanco Calla Coitsville Center East Lewistown Ellsworth Fredericksburg Garfield Greenford Hickory Corners Knaufville Locust Grove Millville New Albany New Buffalo North Benton North Jackson Ohltown Paradise Patmos Poland Center Pricetown‡ Rosemont Snodes West Austintown
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
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