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Buying a home in South Salem, Ohio

The typical owner-occupied home in South Salem is worth about $137,500, 36% below the Ohio median of $214,800 and 59% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,375 a year in property taxes, about 1.00% of their home's value, lower than the Ohio rate of 1.31%. The median household earns $60,625 a year, so the median home costs 2.3 times the median income (3.0 times for Ohio). 84% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 54% of those owners still have a mortgage.

South Salem at a glance

South Salem Ohio U.S.
Median home value $137,500 $214,800 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,375 $2,822 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.00% 1.31% 0.94%
Median household income $60,625 $71,389 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 84% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 54% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,077 $1,517 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 18.8% 18.6% 21.0%
Median rent – $1,034 $1,413
Median year homes were built 1948 1970 1980
Vacant homes 17.4% 8.1% 10.1%
Population 185 11,810,293 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in South Salem

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median South Salem home of $137,500 with 20% down costs about $912 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,141, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $39,080 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 18% of the median South Salem household income of $60,625; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $213,000.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$27,500
Loan amount$110,000
Principal and interest$740
Property taxes (1.00% a year)$115
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$57
PMI$0
Total per month$912

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$4,812
Loan amount$135,010
Principal and interest$908
Property taxes (1.00% a year)$115
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$57
FHA mortgage insurance$61
Total per month$1,141

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Questions about home buying in South Salem

What is the median home value in South Salem?

About $137,500 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in South Salem?

Homeowners pay a median $1,375 a year, which is about 1.00% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in South Salem?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $912 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $39,080 a year.

More about South Salem

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data