Salem, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Salem · Upson County, Georgia
Population 372 (est. 2026: ~400)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 3.49% annual growth projection

Salem, Georgia

Upson County, Georgia · Population 307

Salem is a small census-designated place tucked into Upson County in west-central Georgia, roughly midway between Atlanta and Columbus along the U.S. 19 corridor. Thomaston, the Upson County seat, sits just a few miles away and supplies most of the commercial, medical, and civic infrastructure that Salem residents rely on daily. This is quiet rural Georgia — modest homes, a median age that skews well above the state average, and a community that is overwhelmingly Black in its composition. Salem doesn't have a downtown. It has neighbors, history, and the kind of place where 49 people walk to work because that is simply a reasonable option.

People & Demographics

Salem's ACS 2022 population count is 377, with a median age of 58.0 — a figure that reflects an older, settled community rather than one attracting young families in large numbers. Of 376 residents with a racial breakdown reported, 347 identify as Black and 15 as white, with 15 residents identifying as Hispanic or Latino. The community holds 176 households at an average size of 2.14 people, and 88 of those are family households. Children under 18 number 56, meaning roughly one in seven residents is a minor — a low share compared to most Georgia communities.

Upson County as a whole counts approximately 27,700 residents, meaning Salem represents just over 1 percent of that population.

Economy & Employment

The median household income in Salem is $36,618, and per capita income sits at $27,086. Neither figure is high by Georgia standards — the state's median household income runs considerably higher — but they reflect Upson County's broader economic character, which tilts rural and working-class. Of the 170 residents counted as being in the labor force, zero are reported as unemployed in the ACS estimate, though that figure should be read cautiously given the small sample size. A total of 157 workers commute or work locally.

Poverty touches 28 residents by census measure. Most employment for Salem residents likely centers on Thomaston, where manufacturing, healthcare, and local government jobs anchor the county economy.

Housing

Salem's housing profile is unusually tight: all 176 housing units are occupied, leaving a vacancy rate of zero. That means no buffer of available homes for newcomers. Of occupied units, 119 are owner-occupied and 57 are renter-occupied — a roughly 68/32 split that leans toward ownership.

Median home value is $91,300, and median gross rent is $484 per month. Both figures are well below Georgia state medians, making Salem genuinely affordable in dollar terms. For buyers and renters priced out of metro markets, these numbers are real, not aspirational.

Schools

Salem students attend Upson County Schools, a single consolidated district serving the entire county. The school pipeline runs through four Upson-Lee campuses:

All four schools are located in or near Thomaston. The consolidated Upson-Lee model means students from across the county — including Salem — share the same buildings and the same programs.

Getting Around

Salem is effectively car-dependent, but with an interesting exception. Of 157 total workers, 106 drove alone to work. Zero used public transit — there is none. But 49 workers walked to their jobs, a remarkably high share for a rural Georgia community and one that likely reflects proximity between homes and local employment or agricultural work. Only 2 carpooled. No one worked from home. The aggregate commute time for all workers totals 3,860 minutes, which averages to roughly 25 minutes per worker — consistent with short county-seat commutes into Thomaston.

Healthcare

Upson Regional Medical Center in Thomaston is the primary hospital serving Salem and the surrounding county. For provider-level searches — physicians, specialists, and other licensed practitioners listing Salem or nearby areas — the CMS NPI Registry returns current enrollment data.

Library

Hightower Memorial Library serves Upson County residents and sits approximately 1.3 miles from Salem. Phone: (706) 647-8649. It is the closest public library access point for Salem households.

Parks & Recreation

Two significant National Park Service sites are within reasonable driving distance:

Neither is a day-trip afterthought; both carry genuine historical weight.

Natural Hazards

Upson County has accumulated a substantial FEMA disaster declaration history, reflecting the range of weather and emergency events that reach this part of Georgia:

The pattern is clear: Upson County sits in a corridor that catches the remnants of Gulf Coast hurricanes, is vulnerable to severe winter events, and faces periodic tornado and flooding risk from convective storm systems. Residents should maintain emergency preparedness plans accordingly.

Government & Municipal Code

Salem's municipal code is published through Municode and available at library.municode.com/ga/salem-cdp-georgia. No locally adopted building code is on file for the municipality.

Weather

Current National Weather Service forecasts for Salem are available at forecast.weather.gov. Active weather alerts for the area can be monitored at alerts.weather.gov. The nearest weather observation station is Thomaston 4SE, located 3.1 miles away.

References

The law belongs to the people. Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 590 U.S. (2020)