City comparison
Bayonne, NJ is about 200 miles (325 km) from Salem, MA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 250 miles, or about 4 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Bayonne, NJ to Salem, MA takes about 25 min, covering roughly 200 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Bayonne has a population of 70,497, vs 44,541 in Salem — about 1.6× larger by population. By land area, Salem covers about 8.3 sq mi vs 5.8 sq mi for Bayonne.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Bayonne | Salem | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,474/mo | $1,678/mo | 13.8% higher in Salem |
| Median home value | $413,100 | $464,200 | 12.4% higher in Salem |
| Median household income | $80,044 | $79,196 | 1.1% higher in Bayonne |
| Groceries index | 109.4 | 99.8 | 9.7% higher in Bayonne |
| Utilities index | 124.5 | 144.3 | 15.9% higher in Salem |
| Transportation index | 105.0 | 102.9 | 2.0% higher in Bayonne |
| Healthcare index | 105.7 | 103.7 | 2.0% higher in Bayonne |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Bayonne, you'd need $100,048 in Salem to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Bayonne and Salem have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Bayonne, you'd need about $80,038 in Salem to keep the same standard of living.