Population

Wheat Ridge

32,158

Salem

44,241

Median Income

Wheat Ridge

$87,598

Salem

$85,137

Home Value

Wheat Ridge

$584,700

Salem

$497,400

Rent

Wheat Ridge

$1,493

Salem

$1,800

Crime Rate

Wheat Ridge

4.81

Salem

1.52

Cost of Living

Wheat Ridge

153.7

Salem

158.7

Avg Temp

Wheat Ridge

N/A

Salem

N/A

Unemployment

Wheat Ridge

4.8%

Salem

5.2%

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How Similar Are Wheat Ridge & Salem?

Salem is Wheat Ridge's #9 most similar city

6/10

6 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Wheat Ridge

32,158

vs

Salem

44,241

Different · 27% difference

Salem has a 27% larger population than Wheat Ridge.

Violent Crime

Wheat Ridge

4.81

vs

Salem

1.52

Different · 68% difference
🚨

Wheat Ridge's violent crime is significantly higher than Salem's — 68% difference.

Property Crime

🔒

Wheat Ridge

44.66

vs

Salem

15.54

Different · 65% difference

Wheat Ridge's property crime is significantly higher than Salem's — 65% difference.

Political Leaning

Wheat Ridge

38.9%

vs

Salem

38.9%

Match · 0% difference
🗳️

Both cities lean Democratic with similar vote shares — 0% difference.

Unemployment

💼

Wheat Ridge

4.8%

vs

Salem

5.2%

Match · 8% difference

Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 8% difference.

Median Income

Wheat Ridge

$87,598

vs

Salem

$85,137

Match · 3% difference
💰

Both cities have similar median income — just a 3% difference.

Home Values

🏠

Wheat Ridge

$584,700

vs

Salem

$497,400

Different · 15% difference

Wheat Ridge has a 15% higher home values than Salem.

Education

Wheat Ridge

35.1%

vs

Salem

35.9%

Match · 2% difference
🎓

Both cities have similar education — just a 2% difference.

Demographics

🌍

Wheat Ridge

83.1%

vs

Salem

75.2%

Match · 9% difference

Both cities have similar demographics — just a 9% difference.

Cost of Living

Wheat Ridge

153.7

vs

Salem

158.7

Match · 3% difference
💵

Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 3% difference.

6 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Wheat Ridge and Salem share several key characteristics.

At a Glance

0

Wheat Ridge

vsof 8

0

Salem

Wheat Ridge leads in 3 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — Wheat Ridge leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Wheat Ridge has a fair market rent (1br) of $1,754 vs $2,476 in Salem (29% lower). Wheat Ridge has a fair market rent (2br) of $2,089 vs $2,941 in Salem (29% lower). Salem scores 117.2 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 133.9 in Wheat Ridge.

Overall Cost Index

Wheat Ridge153.7
Salem158.7

Housing Index

Wheat Ridge204.4
Salem227.7

Food Index

Wheat Ridge117.0
Salem115.1

Transportation Index

Wheat Ridge133.9
Salem117.2

Healthcare Index

Wheat Ridge113.6
Salem112.1

Utilities Index

Wheat Ridge131.0
Salem134.6

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Wheat Ridge$67,632
Salem$69,838

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Wheat Ridge$159,858
Salem$165,071

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Wheat Ridge$1,754
Salem$2,476

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Wheat Ridge$2,089
Salem$2,941

Housing Market — Wheat Ridge leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Wheat Ridge has a single-family homes of 65.7% compared to 31.9% in Salem. Wheat Ridge has a median property tax of $2,607 vs $6,032 in Salem (57% lower). Wheat Ridge has a median home value of $584,700 vs $497,400 in Salem (18% higher).

Median Home Value

Wheat Ridge$584,700
Salem$497,400

Median Rent

Wheat Ridge$1,493
Salem$1,800

Median Property Tax

Wheat Ridge$2,607
Salem$6,032

Owner-Occupied

Wheat Ridge52.4%
Salem51.4%

Vacancy Rate

Wheat Ridge4.8%
Salem5.8%

Single-Family Homes

Wheat Ridge65.7%
Salem31.9%

Jobs & Economy — Wheat Ridge leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Salem: 27,245 vs Wheat Ridge: 18,988 for labor force. Wheat Ridge has a poverty rate of 10.2% compared to 13.7% in Salem. Wheat Ridge has a private sector of 86.5% compared to 78.0% in Salem.

Median Household Income

Wheat Ridge$87,598
Salem$85,137

Per Capita Income

Wheat Ridge$54,879
Salem$49,734

Poverty Rate

Wheat Ridge10.2%
Salem13.7%

Unemployment Rate

Wheat Ridge4.8%
Salem5.2%

Labor Force

Wheat Ridge18,988
Salem27,245

Mean Commute

Wheat RidgeN/A
Salem24 min

Work from Home

Wheat Ridge19.3%
Salem19.4%

Private Sector

Wheat Ridge86.5%
Salem78.0%

Government Sector

Wheat Ridge40.3%
Salem36.5%

Crime & Safety — Salem leads

Source: FBI UCR

Salem has a burglary rate (per 1k) of 1.07 compared to 6.17 in Wheat Ridge. Salem has a assault rate (per 1k) of 1.04 compared to 3.54 in Wheat Ridge. Salem has a violent crime rate (per 1k) of 1.52 compared to 4.81 in Wheat Ridge.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Wheat Ridge4.81
Salem1.52

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Wheat Ridge44.66
Salem15.54

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Wheat Ridge0.00
Salem0.00

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Wheat Ridge0.44
Salem0.35

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Wheat Ridge3.54
Salem1.04

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Wheat Ridge6.17
Salem1.07

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Wheat Ridge31.50
Salem13.47

Violent Crime Clearance

Wheat Ridge39.5%
Salem51.4%

Property Crime Clearance

Wheat Ridge13.2%
Salem14.4%

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

Wheat RidgeN/A
SalemN/A

Avg Annual High

Wheat RidgeN/A
SalemN/A

Avg Annual Low

Wheat RidgeN/A
SalemN/A

Sunny Days per Year

Wheat RidgeN/A
SalemN/A

Annual Rainfall

Wheat RidgeN/A
SalemN/A

Annual Snowfall

Wheat RidgeN/A
SalemN/A

Avg Humidity

Wheat RidgeN/A
SalemN/A

Schools & Education

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Wheat Ridge has a high school diploma or higher of 52.7% compared to 50.8% in Salem. Salem has a bachelor's degree or higher of 35.9% compared to 35.1% in Wheat Ridge.

Public Schools

Wheat Ridge0
Salem0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

Wheat RidgeN/A
SalemN/A

Colleges & Universities

Wheat Ridge0
Salem0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Wheat Ridge35.1%
Salem35.9%

High School Diploma or Higher

Wheat Ridge52.7%
Salem50.8%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Salem has a population of 44,241, about 1.4x the size of Wheat Ridge (32,158). Salem skews younger with a median age of 38.5 vs 42.1.

Population

Wheat Ridge32,158
Salem44,241

Median Age

Wheat Ridge42
Salem39

Avg Household Size

Wheat Ridge2.1
Salem2.2

Married Population

Wheat Ridge38.2%
Salem35.0%

Foreign Born

Wheat Ridge4.6%
Salem15.4%

White

Wheat Ridge83.1%
Salem75.2%

Black

Wheat Ridge1.4%
Salem5.4%

Hispanic

Wheat Ridge21.2%
Salem19.4%

Asian

Wheat Ridge1.5%
Salem3.3%

Wheat Ridge

Salem

Healthcare

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Nearby Hospitals

Wheat Ridge5
Salem5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Wheat Ridge3.5
Salem3.5

With Emergency Services

Wheat Ridge5
Salem5

Transportation & Commute — Salem leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Salem has a public transit of 6.3% compared to 2.6% in Wheat Ridge. Salem has a bicycle of 0.8% compared to 0.7% in Wheat Ridge. Wheat Ridge has a drive alone of 65.0% compared to 57.6% in Salem.

Mean Commute Time

Wheat RidgeN/A
Salem24 min

Drive Alone

Wheat Ridge65.0%
Salem57.6%

Public Transit

Wheat Ridge2.6%
Salem6.3%

Bicycle

Wheat Ridge0.7%
Salem0.8%

Work from Home

Wheat Ridge19.3%
Salem19.4%

Airports

Wheat Ridge0
Salem0

Cities Similar to Wheat Ridge, CO

Compare Wheat Ridge 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.

PopulationIncomeHome ValueSafetyEducationMedian AgeClimateCost of Living

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