Salem, IN is a small town located in Washington County with a population of around 8,000. Despite its small size, Salem has an excellent selection of health care facilities and resources for its residents. The city is serviced by the St. Vincent Salem Hospital, which provides comprehensive general and specialized medical services. The hospital also provides access to specialists in the fields of cardiology, obstetrics/gynecology, orthopedics, surgery, neurology and more. Additionally, Salem offers access to several local clinics providing family practice services as well as specialized care such as physical therapy and dental services. Lastly, the city also boasts several pharmacies, including a large chain pharmacy that offers prescription delivery to their customers with various chronic conditions who are unable to go out and fill their prescriptions themselves. All these options combine to provide Salem residents with ample access to quality health care options when they need it most.
The health of a city has many different factors. It can refer to air quality, water quality, risk of getting respiratory disease or cancer. The people you live around can also affect your health as some places have lower or higher rates of physical activity, increased alcohol intake, smoking, obesity, and cancer rates.
Physicians per Capita
There are 68 physicians per 100,000 population in Salem. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Salem area is 81.5 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
81.5 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Salem area is 32 (100=best). The US average is 55.
32 / 100
Note that this is a measure of Watershed quality, not the water that comes from your faucet. The EPA has stated that a healthy watershed is closely related to drinking water quality. The EPA has a complex method of measuring watershed quality using 15 indicators such as pH, chemicals, metals, and bacteria.
Superfund Index
The annual BestPlaces Superfund Index for the Salem area is 99 (100=best). The US average is 87.
99 / 100
The EPA's Superfund program is responsible for cleaning up some of our nation's most contaminated land. Our index is based on the number of active Superfund sites (over 15,000 in the United States), with particular attention paid to those on the National Priorities List which pose the greatest health danger.
Quick Facts
Commuting can effect your health. The average person in Salem commutes 31.4 minutes one-way, which is longer than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
Air Quality Index
The annual BestPlaces Air Quality Index for the Salem area is 59 (100=best). The US average is 58.
59 / 100
This is based on new measures of hazardous air pollutants from the EPA, called the National Air Toxics Assessment. This analysis models respiratory illness and cancer risk down to the zip code level, providing better detail and insight than the previous analysis based solely on results from air monitoring stations.