City comparison
Beaverton, OR is about 40 miles (60 km) from Salem, OR in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 50 miles, or about 49 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 Beaverton, OR to Salem, OR takes about 5 min, covering roughly 40 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.
Salem has a population of 175,754, vs 97,554 in Beaverton — about 1.8× larger by population. By land area, Salem covers about 49 sq mi vs 20 sq mi for Beaverton.
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 | Beaverton | Salem | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,663/mo | $1,224/mo | 35.9% higher in Beaverton |
| Median home value | $494,700 | $349,500 | 41.5% higher in Beaverton |
| Median household income | $88,899 | $67,540 | 31.6% higher in Beaverton |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 105.2 | ≈ equal (Salem slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 108.6 | 106.5 | 1.9% higher in Beaverton |
| Transportation index | 100.5 | 100.7 | ≈ equal (Salem slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 100.5 | 100.6 | ≈ equal (Salem slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Beaverton, you'd need $93,662 in Salem to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Salem, OR is about 6.3% cheaper overall than Beaverton, OR, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 15% higher in Beaverton than in Salem. If you earn $80,000 in Beaverton, you'd need about $74,929 in Salem to keep the same standard of living.