Markets  ›  OR  ›  Salem

Salem, OR housing market

Salem, OR metro median sale price $463K in Jul–Sep 2026, up 1.5% year over year. Also days on market, price cuts, affordability and ZIP-code figures.

The median sale price in the Salem, OR metro is $463K over Jul–Sep 2026, up 1.5% from the same 3 months a year earlier. That change sits near the middle of the 383 U.S. metros Pecan Street ranks on this measure. FHFA's repeat-sales index for the metro points the other way: down 0.2% through Q2 2026.

On median sale price, Salem ($463K) ranks 5th of the eight Oregon metros Pecan Street tracks, between Eugene ($479K) and Medford ($451K). On median days on market, Salem (65 days) ranks 5th of the eight Oregon metros, between Portland (66 days) and Corvallis (63 days). On share of listings with a price cut, Salem (49%) ranks 4th of the eight Oregon metros, between Albany (51%) and Corvallis (45%).

Listings spent a median 65 days on market in Sep 2026, more than in most of the 385 metros. 49% of active listings carry a price cut; the 3-month average vs a year earlier is 2.2 points higher. That share is the 33rd-highest of the 385 metros. Median asking prices sit about 12% above the median sale price. Building permits authorized 269 new housing units in Sep 2026.

At the 7.12% 30-year fixed rate with 20% down, principal and interest on a median-priced home come to $2,491 a month; at 28% of gross income, that takes about $107K a year. The median sale price equals about 16 years of HUD Fair Market Rent, a ratio down 6.4% from a year earlier. That ratio is higher than in most of the 373 metros. Active listings ask a median $281 per square foot; the 3-month average vs a year earlier is down 0.9%.

In seven of the 12 ZIP codes in the table below, median list prices are lower than a year earlier; four are higher; one is unchanged.

Headline

Median sale price

Jul–Sep 2026

$463K

+1.5% year-over-year

How it’s calculated

Average of the last three monthly median sale prices vs. the same three months a year earlier.

Mortgage rate

Nov 4, 2026

7.12%

30-year fixed

Where it comes from

National benchmark: Optimal Blue OBMMI 30-year conforming, via FRED. An average of rates borrowers have actually locked, updated daily.

The same rate appears on every market page.

Monthly payment

Principal & interest

$2,491/mo

$107K/yr income needed

How it’s calculated

Payment — this market’s median sale price with 20% down, on a 30-year fixed loan at the rate shown. Principal and interest only — no property tax, insurance, PMI or HOA.

Income needed — that payment at 28% of gross income. A rule of thumb, not a lending decision.

How Salem compares to other U.S. metros

Price cuts↑33rd of 385 (top 9%)
Asking-vs-sale gap↑41st of 291 (top 15%)
Days on market↑124th of 385 (top 33%)
Price-to-rent↑129th of 373 (top 35%)
Home-price growth217th of 383

Rank across the U.S. metros Pecan Street tracks, on market data alone — a higher rank means more of that measure (more price cuts, faster price growth, a wider asking-vs-sale gap, a higher price-to-rent ratio, or more days on market). The bar shows where this metro sits within that metric’s own cohort (left is more, right is less); ↑ and ↓ mark the positions furthest from the middle, and rows are ordered the same way. Metrics without data for this metro are omitted.

Affordability

Price-to-rent ratio≈ 16 -6.4% YoY
↑129th of 373 (top 35%)
Asking price / sq ft$281 -0.9% 3-month average vs a year earlier

Price-to-rent divides the median sale price by the annual HUD Fair Market Rent (a 3-bedroom, 40th-percentile benchmark), so it is a directional rent-vs-buy read, not a cap rate; its year-over-year change is directional in the same way. Asking price per square foot is the median across active for-sale listings (Realtor.com), as of Sep 2026. The bar under a figure places this metro among the U.S. metros we track on that measure, highest first.

Market pressure

Listings with a price cut≈ 49% +2.2 pts 3-month average vs a year earlier
↑33rd of 385 (top 9%)
New housing units permitted269

The median asking price $517K runs about 12% above the median sale price $463K.

Price-cut share is the portion of active for-sale listings that have taken a price reduction (Realtor.com), as of Sep 2026. New housing units authorized by residential building permits in the metro that month — new supply in the pipeline, which counts of existing listings don't capture (US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey), as of Sep 2026. Asking is the median list price of active listings (Realtor.com, Sep 2026); sale is the headline median of recent closings (Redfin, Jul–Sep 2026) — distinct sources and windows, so the gap is a directional read, not a like-for-like difference. The bar under a figure places this metro among the U.S. metros we track on that measure, highest first.

Market facts

ZIPs with listing data12 shown of 30
MLS board of recordRegional Multiple Listing Service (RMLS)
Price methodologyRedfin vs FHFA HPI
Sale-price windowJul–Sep 2026

Recent signals

No signals flagged for this market right now.

Housing Economy

Salem · ConstructionCOPIED

Salem builders pulled 2.2% more single-family permits than a year earlier

Single-family building permits in the Salem metro area, by month, one line per year, units

AprJulOct357010514017520252026
AprJulOct357010514017520252026
2024
Chart data
Month202420252026
Dec11861—
Nov3642—
Oct5561—
Sep527155
Aug607869
Jul706982
Jun6078111
May756968
Apr8255120
Mar10517474
Feb734052
Jan7574142

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey · data through September 2026

Builders in the Salem metro area pulled 937 single-family permits in the twelve months through September 2026, 2.2% more than in the twelve months before. So far in 2026, permits are running 9.2% above the same months of 2025.

Why it matters. Permits come before starts, and starts come before new homes for sale, so this is the earliest read on how much new building is planned in the Salem area. When the permit pipeline shrinks, buyers see fewer new-build options later; when it grows, sellers of existing homes face more competition from builders.

Salem · Home pricesCOPIED

Salem home prices are 0.2% lower than a year ago, the weakest reading since the fourth quarter of 2012

Home prices in the Salem metro area, change from a year earlier, FHFA all-transactions index, quarterly, percent; shaded bars mark recessions

19801990200020102020-12%0%12%24%36%Salem
1990200020102020-12%0%12%24%36%Salem
No changeRecession
Chart data
DateSalem
Jun 2026-0.2%
Mar 20264%
Dec 20251.6%
Sep 20252.7%
Jun 20254.9%
Mar 20251.9%
Dec 20243.4%
Sep 20242.4%
Jun 20241.8%
Mar 20243.5%
Dec 20232.9%
Sep 20230.6%
Jun 20231.7%
Mar 20233.5%
Dec 20227.4%
Sep 202212.5%
Jun 202217.9%
Mar 202220%
Dec 202120.5%
Sep 202120.6%
Jun 202116%
Mar 202110.7%
Dec 20207.2%
Sep 20205.8%
Jun 20205.1%
Mar 20205.3%
Dec 20196.2%
Sep 20195.1%
Jun 20196.5%
Mar 20198.3%
Dec 20189.4%
Sep 201810.9%
Jun 201810.6%
Mar 201812.2%
Dec 201711.4%
Sep 201711.8%
Jun 201712.8%
Mar 20179.7%
Dec 201610.9%
Sep 20169.9%
Jun 201610%
Mar 201610.2%
Dec 20159%
Sep 20158.8%
Jun 20157.2%
Mar 20158%
Dec 20147.6%
Sep 20147.3%
Jun 20147.9%
Mar 20146.4%
Dec 20134.9%
Sep 20134.5%
Jun 20134%
Mar 20130.1%
Dec 2012-2.7%
Sep 2012-1.2%
Jun 2012-2.7%
Mar 2012-5.1%
Dec 2011-6.8%
Sep 2011-10.1%
Jun 2011-10.2%
Mar 2011-7.3%
Dec 2010-4.7%
Sep 2010-5.8%
Jun 2010-9.1%
Mar 2010-10.1%
Dec 2009-9.2%
Sep 2009-6.8%
Jun 2009-6.2%
Mar 2009-5.5%
Dec 2008-4.6%
Sep 2008-3.6%
Jun 2008-1.3%
Mar 20082.6%
Dec 20074.6%
Sep 20076.1%
Jun 200710.6%
Mar 200712.4%
Dec 200614.5%
Sep 200616.2%
Jun 200616.4%
Mar 200616.2%
Dec 200514.8%
Sep 200511.7%
Jun 200510.3%
Mar 20058.6%
Dec 20047.1%
Sep 20047.5%
Jun 20046%
Mar 20044.5%
Dec 20033.9%
Sep 20033%
Jun 20033.6%
Mar 20032.3%
Dec 20022.8%
Sep 20023%
Jun 20021.4%
Mar 20022.9%
Dec 20014.9%
Sep 20014.3%
Jun 20015.5%
Mar 20014.8%
Dec 20003.1%
Sep 20002.1%
Jun 20001%
Mar 20001.5%
Dec 19990.3%
Sep 19992.6%
Jun 19993.1%
Mar 19993.5%
Dec 19984.8%
Sep 19984.6%
Jun 19985.2%
Mar 19985%
Dec 19975.3%
Sep 19975.5%
Jun 19975.8%
Mar 19975.5%
Dec 19966.6%
Sep 19966.2%
Jun 19966.4%
Mar 19969.5%
Dec 19959%
Sep 19959.7%
Jun 19959.3%
Mar 19959.4%
Dec 199410.1%
Sep 199410.6%
Jun 199411.4%
Mar 19949.6%
Dec 19937.8%
Sep 19938.9%
Jun 19938.2%
Mar 19937.8%
Dec 19929.4%
Sep 19927.5%
Jun 19928.8%
Mar 19929.6%
Dec 19918.4%
Sep 19918.7%
Jun 19919.2%
Mar 19919.9%
Dec 199011.9%
Sep 199011.3%
Jun 199014.1%
Mar 199013.6%
Dec 19897.5%
Sep 19896.2%
Jun 19894.8%
Mar 19893%
Dec 19888.6%
Sep 19887.6%
Jun 19882%
Mar 19880.9%
Dec 19870.2%
Sep 19871.4%
Jun 19872.6%
Mar 19872.9%
Dec 19861.6%
Sep 19862.9%
Jun 19862.7%
Mar 19863.7%
Dec 1985-0.6%
Sep 1985-2.1%
Jun 1985-1.8%
Mar 1985-4.9%
Dec 1984-6.5%
Sep 19840.6%
Jun 1984-5%
Mar 19847.3%
Dec 19830.6%
Jun 1981-11.4%
Dec 19805.4%
Sep 19800.4%
Jun 19805%
Mar 19802.8%
Dec 19797%
Sep 197913.7%
Jun 197911.1%
Mar 197924.8%

Source: FHFA house price index; recession dates from NBER · data through Q2 2026

FHFA's all-transactions index for the Salem metro area in the second quarter of 2026 was 0.2% below its level a year earlier. Since 1979, prices have risen an average of 5.2% a year. That is the weakest reading since the fourth quarter of 2012. Nationally, prices were 3.0% higher than a year earlier.

Why it matters. Long-run context shows how the latest change in Salem home prices compares with the market's own history, including the recessions shaded on the chart. When appreciation slows, sellers have less room for a list price to run ahead of recent sales, and buyers feel less pressure to stretch to keep up; when it speeds up, the reverse holds: list prices can run ahead of recent sales and buyers compete harder.

Price reconciliation

normal · 1.7pp

Redfin (metro)

+1.5%

FHFA HPI · Q2 2026

-0.2%

Year-over-year home-price change from two independent methods — Redfin (sale prices over the last 3 months) and FHFA (quarterly repeat-sales index). When they diverge, the market is mid-shift; cite the figure with that in mind.

More markets in OR

AlbanyBendCorvallisEugeneGrants PassMedfordPortland

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ZIP-level data

ZIPMedian list priceActive listingsNew listingsPrice reductionsDays on marketHome value
97071$385K↓126↑40↑40↑72↓$420K↑
97301$380K↑127↑28↓52↑74↑$368K↓
97302$530K↓158↑28↓76↑67↑$457K↓
97303$482K↓117↑28↑60↑59↓$448K↑
97304$560K↓157↑28↓80↑74↑$495K↑
97305$435K↑71↓12↓36↑79↑$419K↑
97306$556K170↑32↑88↑78↓$491K↓
97317$725K↑59↑12↓12↓76↑$454K↑
97338$528K↑170↑24↓52↑113↑$473K↑
97351$460K↓26↓4↓12↓59↓$424K↑
97361$499K↓41↑4↑20↑58↓$471K↑
97381$573K↓73↑12↓3285↓$547K↓

ZIP figures from Realtor.com listing data; home value from Zillow ZHVI. ZIP codes shown have the most complete listing-data history and active for-sale inventory in this metro; the latest available month is shown per ZIP. Arrows show the direction of each figure against the same three months a year earlier; no arrow means the change rounds to zero or the comparison isn't available.