Radford, VA vs Salem, VA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricRadford, VASalem, VA
Population16,72625,618
Median Household Income$57,348$66,725
Median Rent$1,033/mo$1,133/mo
Median Home Value$220,700$258,600
Cost of Living (US = 100)9394
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income51.6%48%
Poverty Rate28.7%10.2%
Unemployment Rate4.5%3.3%
Violent Crime Rate /100k250153
Property Crime Rate /100k8121,187
Median AQI—31
Good AQI Days /yr——
Summer Highs82°F86°F
Winter Lows25°F30°F
Snowfall22 in/yr15 in/yr
Avg Commute18.3 min19 min
Hospitals—2
Avg Hospital Rating—3.0 / 5
Students per Teacher19.112.4
College Degree Rate37.9%33%
Foreign-Born %2.1%4.5%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+7.3%+1.9%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.