Population
Altoona
43,508
Salem
11,805
Median Income
Altoona
$50,171
Salem
$50,250
Home Value
Altoona
$113,600
Salem
$117,400
Rent
Altoona
$789
Salem
$771
Crime Rate
Altoona
3.35
Salem
2.32
Cost of Living
Altoona
80.8
Salem
80.4
Avg Temp
Altoona
N/A
Salem
N/A
Unemployment
Altoona
6.8%
Salem
5.1%
How Similar Are Altoona & Salem?
Salem is Altoona's #20 most similar city
6 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Altoona
43,508
Salem
11,805
Altoona (43,508) is about 3.7x larger than Salem (11,805).
Violent Crime
Altoona
3.35
Salem
2.32
Altoona has a 31% higher violent crime than Salem.
Property Crime
Altoona
18.50
Salem
13.64
Altoona has a 26% higher property crime than Salem.
Political Leaning
Altoona
71.4%
Salem
74.1%
Both cities lean Republican with similar vote shares — 4% difference.
Unemployment
Altoona
6.8%
Salem
5.1%
Altoona has a 24% higher unemployment than Salem.
Median Income
Altoona
$50,171
Salem
$50,250
Both cities have similar median income — just a 0% difference.
Home Values
Altoona
$113,600
Salem
$117,400
Both cities have similar home values — just a 3% difference.
Education
Altoona
13.9%
Salem
14.1%
Both cities have similar education — just a 1% difference.
Demographics
Altoona
89.8%
Salem
96.2%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 7% difference.
Cost of Living
Altoona
80.8
Salem
80.4
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 0% difference.
6 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Altoona and Salem share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Altoona
0
Salem
Salem leads in 3 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Salem leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDSalem has a fair market rent (1br) of $779 vs $948 in Altoona (22% lower). Salem has a fair market rent (2br) of $973 vs $1,138 in Altoona (17% lower). Salem scores 76.8 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 78.2 in Altoona.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market — Salem leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSAltoona has a owner-occupied of 64.2% compared to 58.5% in Salem. Salem has a vacancy rate of 11.2% compared to 11.8% in Altoona. Salem has a median home value of $117,400 vs $113,600 in Altoona.
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSAltoona: 20,842 vs Salem: 6,276 for labor force. Altoona has a work from home of 5.8% compared to 4.1% in Salem. Salem has a unemployment rate of 5.1% compared to 6.8% in Altoona.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety — Salem leads
Source: FBI UCRAltoona has a property crime clearance of 27.0% compared to 5.7% in Salem. Salem has a burglary rate (per 1k) of 0.77 compared to 3.32 in Altoona. Salem has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 0.17 compared to 0.73 in Altoona.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauAltoona has a high school diploma or higher of 48.9% compared to 43.3% in Salem. Salem has a bachelor's degree or higher of 14.1% compared to 13.9% in Altoona.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSAltoona has a population of 43,508, about 3.7x the size of Salem (11,805).
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Altoona
Salem
Healthcare
Source: CMS Hospital CompareAltoona: 4 vs Salem: 2 for with emergency services. Salem: 3.3 vs Altoona: 3.0 for avg cms rating (out of 5).
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSAltoona has a public transit of 1.4% compared to 0.0% in Salem. Salem has a bicycle of 5.1% compared to 0.0% in Altoona. Altoona has a work from home of 5.8% compared to 4.1% in Salem.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Altoona, PA
Compare Altoona against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.
City Comparison
8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.