Demand-Backed Comparison

Compare Salem vs Durango on cost, climate, safety, and daily life

People have logged this comparison 5 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.

SalemDurango
Salem
Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash

Salem

Oregon

City page

Durango

Colorado

City page

What Stands Out

A quick read on this comparison

Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.

Housing and tax tradeoff: Salem, Oregon

Salem, Oregon comes out ahead here on rent burden and rent. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.

Biggest tradeoff: Salem, Oregon

Salem, Oregon is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on climate comfort, weaker on safety.

Potential dealbreaker: Salem, Oregon

Salem, Oregon needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on tax burden.

Comparison Matrix

City
Route
General Info
Population175,53518,006
Population Density3.6k /sq miN/A
Center Elevation161 ft(49 m)6,532 ft(1,991 m)
Housing & Wealth
Median Home
$427,939
$727,692
Median Rent
$1,638
$1,896
Median Income$67,540$76,177
Rent Burden29%30%
Climate & Risks
Days with 5+ Hours of Sun270 days/yr347 days/yr
Avg. High64°F61°F
Avg. Low45°F34°F
Comfort Score71/100Good36/100Challenging
Temp Swing40°F52°F
Annual Precipitation49"(124 cm)18"(46 cm)
Annual Snowfall10"(25 cm)51"(130 cm)
Air Quality
Typical: 312024 modeled avg · 0 days > 100
Typical: 452024 modeled avg · 8 days > 100
Infrastructure & Lifestyle
Safety Score64 / 10073 / 100
School Rating4.6/106.2/10
Flood Risk (FEMA)
minimalMinimal Risk
minimalMinimal Risk
Central Tract Wildfire Risk
minimalMinimal
N/A
Internet Access
Fiber: 12%Cable: 94%
Fiber: 6%Cable: 59%
Demographics
Median Age35.9 years36.6 years
College Educated31%59%
Remote Workers12%12%
Nature Access
Local Nature & Reserves
Finding...
Finding...
Scouting & Local Help
Housing and local helpA practical next step once someone starts picturing the move.
Featured Local Partner
AD
Realtor
Realtor spot available
For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Salem.
One featured slot per city
Featured Local Partner
AD
Realtor
Realtor spot available
For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Durango.
One featured slot per city
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