Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Salem, Ohio
A $117,000 home here costs
$1,097per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $601. The real number is $495 higher every month — 82% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Salem against Mahoning County and Ohio
| Measure | Salem | Mahoning County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $117,400 | $141,100 |
| Median property tax | $1,336 | $1,975 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.138% | 1.400% |
| Median gross rent | $771 | $775 |
| Population | 11,805 | 227,063 |
Salem extends across 2 counties. Figures here use Mahoning County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Salem sits in Mahoning County, which averages a high of 82.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 19.3°F in its coldest, with 41.19" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 633 cooling and 6,089 heating degree days, which is what sets the $175 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Mahoning County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Mahoning County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Salem?
A $117,000 home in Salem, Ohio costs approximately $1,097 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $601 principal and interest, $111 property tax, $43 homeowners insurance, $243 utilities and $98 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Salem?
Salem has an effective property tax rate of 1.138%, based on a median home value of $117,400 and median real estate taxes of $1,336. That is lower than the Mahoning County average of 1.400%.
What is the average home price in Salem?
The median owner-occupied home value in Salem, Ohio is $117,400, against $141,100 across Mahoning County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Salem?
Median gross rent in Salem is $771 a month, against $1,097 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Salem — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Ohio.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.