South Salem is a somewhat small town located in the state of New York. With a population of 9,045 people and two associated neighborhoods, South Salem is the 197th largest community in New York.

South Salem home prices are not only among the most expensive in New York, but South Salem real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.

Of important note, South Salem is also a town of artists. South Salem has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape South Salem’s character.

Also of interest is that South Salem has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

A relatively large number of people in South Salem telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 26.15% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

In addition, South Salem is home to many people who could be described as "urban sophisticates". Urban sophisticates are educated, wealthy, executives and professionals, who have urbane tastes in books, food, and travel, whether they actually live in a big city, or choose to reside in a small town. In big or medium-sized cities, urban sophisticates tend to frequent art institutions such as opera, symphonies, ballet, live theatre, and museums.

South Salem is a good choice for families with children because of several factors. Many other families with children live here, making it a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families. The town’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic success. Many people own their own single-family homes, providing areas for children to play and stability in the community. Finally, South Salem’s overall crime rate ranks among the lowest in the country, making it one of the safest places to raise a family.

In South Salem, however, the average commute to work is quite long. On average, people spend 34.65 minutes each day getting to work, which is significantly higher than the national average. One bright side is that local public transit is widely used, so it may be an option to avoid the headache of driving in the heavy traffic by leaving the car at home and taking transit.

Despite being a small town, South Salem has a lot of people using the train to get to and from work every day. Most of these people on the train are using it to get to good jobs in other cities.

Do you have a 4-year college degree or graduate degree? If so, you may feel right at home in South Salem. 70.89% of adults here have a 4-year degree or graduate degree, whereas the national average for all cities and towns is just 21.84%.

The per capita income in South Salem in 2022 was $88,003, which is wealthy relative to New York and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $352,012 for a family of four.

South Salem is a somewhat ethnically-diverse town. The people who call South Salem home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of South Salem residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in South Salem include Irish, Italian, German, English, and Polish.

The most common language spoken in South Salem is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and German/Yiddish.