Salem, Utah

Salem, Utah
City
Welcome to Salem sign, March 2017
Nickname:  City of peace
Motto:  Making Life Better
Location in Utah County and the state of Utah
Country	United States
State	Utah
County	Utah
Settled	1851
Incorporated	May 10, 1920
Named for	Salem, Massachusetts
Government
• Type	Strong Mayor Municipal Format
Area
• Total	10.53 sq mi (27.26 km2)
• Land	10.50 sq mi (27.21 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	9,298
• Density	885.52/sq mi (341.71/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
GNIS feature ID	2411765
Website	www.salemcity.org

Salem is a city in Utah County, Utah. It is part of the Provo–Orem metropolitan area. The population was 9,298 at the time of the 2020 U.S. census. Landmark locations in Salem include the Dream Mine of John Hyrum Koyle and the Salem Pond.

History

North across Salem Lake (locally known as Salem Pond), May 2016

Known as "Summer Spring" by the Indians, and "Pond Town" by early settlers. Pond Town was first settled in 1851.

Salem was later named after New Salem, Massachusetts, the birthplace of Lyman Curtis, to honor his contributions to the community. Curtis was a bodyguard for Joseph Smith. He was later among the earliest Latter-day Saint settlers in Utah. Curtis also was important in central Utah for founding a lumber mill and being involved in important irrigation efforts.

Salem Days

Salem Days is a week-long city celebration held in either the first or second week of August every year and are a collective of many activities, including a baby contest, car show, cardboard boat regatta, grand parade, firework show, pageant, children's parade, and movie in the park. It has been going on since 1949 when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asked the cities of Utah to celebrate their towns yearly.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	179		—
1870	353		97.2%
1880	510		44.5%
1890	527		3.3%
1900	894		69.6%
1910	693		−22.5%
1920	609		−12.1%
1930	610		0.2%
1940	659		8.0%
1950	781		18.5%
1960	920		17.8%
1970	1,081		17.5%
1980	2,233		106.6%
1990	2,284		2.3%
2000	4,372		91.4%
2010	6,423		46.9%
2020	9,298		44.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

Looking southwest along Utah State Route 198 in Salem, May 2016

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,372 people, 1,128 households, and 1,009 families residing in the city. The population density was 825.0 people per square mile (318.5/km²). There were 1,166 housing units at an average density of 220.0 per square mile (84.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.07% White, 0.07% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.27% Pacific Islander, 1.40% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.79% of the population.

There were 1,128 households, out of which 56.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 82.3% were married couples living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 10.5% were non-families. 9.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.86 and the average family size was 4.14.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 40.6% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $54,813, and the median income for a family was $57,557. Males had a median income of $40,116 versus $22,798 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,507. About 3.1% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.2 square miles (26.4 km²), of which 10.2 square miles (26.3 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²), or 0.23%, is water. Salem is located 4.5 miles south of neighboring Spanish Fork, and 3.3 miles northeast of Payson.

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Salem has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Salem Hills High School, May 2016

Education

Public schools in Salem are part of the Nebo School District. Salem has three elementary schools, one junior high school, one middle school, and one high school. Rick Nielsen is the Superintendent of Schools.

See also

• List of cities and towns in Utah

Further reading

• (1994) "Dream Mine" article in the Utah History Encyclopedia. The article was written by Jay M. Haymond and the Encyclopedia was published by the University of Utah Press. ISBN 9780874804256. Archived from the original on March 21, 2024 and retrieved on April 17, 2024.

External links

• Official website
• Koyle Relief Mine map, MSS 8030 at L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Brigham Young University. Map of Salem's "Dream Mine."