Lower Salem is a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

Washington County, Ohio Washington County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 59,711. Its county seat is Marietta. The county, the oldest in the state, is named for George Washington. Wa ...

, United States. The population was 75 at the 2020 census.

History

Lower Salem had its start when a

corduroy road A corduroy road or log road is a type of road or timber trackway made by placing logs, perpendicular to the direction of the road over a low or swampy area. The result is an improvement over impassable mud or dirt roads, yet rough in the best ...

(called the Old Plank Road) was built through it to Marietta. It has a post office. The town site was not laid out until 1850, and was settled predominantly by German immigrants. Lower Salem was once home to a hotel, a doctor's office, an armory, Wagner's General Store, and a gas station and auto parts shop. While all of these buildings remain standing, all have gone out of business.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the village has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 86 people, 31 households, and 21 families residing in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 39 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 93.0%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

and 7.0%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population. There were 31 households, of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 9.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.3% were non-families. 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.19. The median age in the village was 41 years. 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28% were from 25 to 44; 29.1% were from 45 to 64; and 14% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 44.2% male and 55.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 109 people, 36 households, and 27 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 38 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 93.58%

, 0.92%

, and 5.50% from two or more races. There were 36 households, out of which 47.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were

living together, 22.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03 and the average family size was 3.52. In the village, the population was spread out, with 33.0% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 73.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.8 males. The median income for a household in the village was $36,875, and the median income for a family was $36,875. Males had a median income of $26,875 versus $16,875 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the village was $10,209. There were 7.4% of families and 5.0% of the population living below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 3.7% of under eighteens and 10.5% of those over 64.

Education

Salem-Liberty Elementary School sits north of State Route 821 opposite the East Fork of Duck Creek west of the town's corporation limit and serves as the elementary school for about 80 students of the Fort Frye Local School District. According t
National Center for Education Statistics
and

References

{{authority control Villages in Washington County, Ohio Villages in Ohio