Salem, South Carolina
19 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1888 and the latest in 1996. It stands in the Salem census division. It lies in ZIP code area 29676. It stands on Barbecue Branch. The Survey maps it on the Salem quadrangle. 120 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,070 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresSalem fell from 135 to 120 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 135 | |
| 2020 | 120 | -15 (-11%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
8 surveys from 19 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1888 USGS Pickens quadrangle1:125000
- 1894 USGS Pickens quadrangle1:125000, 6 printings
- 1954 USGS Greenville quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1958 USGS Greenville quadrangle1:250000
- 1959 USGS Salem quadrangle1:24000, 5 printings
- 1984 USGS Greenville quadrangle1:100000
- 1991 USGS Greenville quadrangle1:100000
- 1996 USGS Salem quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
90 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 90 fires within 5 miles of Salem between 1992 and 2020, burning about 264 acres in total. 5 started naturally. 7 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 38 |
| Debris and open burning | 25 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 7 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 6 |
| Natural | 5 |
| Smoking | 3 |
| Other causes | 2 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 2 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 August 2008 | Natural | 1.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 22 August 2011 | Debris and open burning | 2.5 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 17 August 2008 | Natural | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 4 July 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 3 July 1996 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 22 July 2000 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 14 July 2008 | Equipment and vehicle use | 2.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 6 June 2002 | Natural | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
2 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Salem: 2 prospects. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Marble, Dimension, Clay. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marble Prospect | Marble, Dimension | Prospect | ||
| Unnamed Clay Prospect | Clay | Prospect |
Storms near this place
49 since 1995Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Salem in 49 storm reports between 1995 and 2024: 23 hail, 21 thunderstorm wind, 3 lightning, 2 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2012 | Lightning | Salem | $20,000 | Lightning struck a home on Buckthorn Trail, starting a fire that damaged several rooms. |
| August 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Salem | $10,000 | County comms reported multiple trees blown down in the Salem area. One tree was down on a house and others down on power lines. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Salem | $10,000 | Media reported a tree blown down on a mobile home in the Salem area. |
| August 2012 | Lightning | Salem | $5,000 | Lightning struck a home on Cove Lane, starting a fire that damaged part of the roof. |
| April 2005 | Lightning | Salem | $1,000 | no account filed |
| May 2024 | Hail | Salem | - | Spotter reported quarter size hail. |
| May 2024 | Hail | Salem | - | Public reported (via Social Media) quarter size hail near the northern part of Lake Keowee. |
| July 2024 | Hail | Salem | - | Spotter reported 3/4 inch hail. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Salem | - | Power company reported trees blown down on power lines near Salem. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Salem | - | At least two trees were blown down in the Salem area. |
| February 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Salem | - | County comms reported trees blown down at Alexander Rd and Highway 130. |
| April 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Salem | - | Public reported a large pine tree snapped and multiple large limbs blown down in the area surrounding High Water Ct. |
| April 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Salem | - | Law enforcement reported numerous trees blown down in the Salem area. |
| May 2018 | Hail | Salem | - | Spotter reported 3/4 inch hail in the Salem area. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Salem | - | County comms reported numerous trees blown down in the Salem area. |
| March 2017 | Hail | Salem | - | Public reported quarter to half dollar size hail in the Salem area. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Salem | - | Spotter reported multiple power lines blown down in the Salem area. |
| August 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Salem | - | HAM radio operator reported several trees and power lines blown down near Salem. |
| June 2015 | Hail | Salem | - | Law enforcement reported quarter size hail in the Boones Creek community. |
| April 2015 | Hail | Salem | - | County comms reported quarter size hail south of Salem. |
| April 2015 | Hail | Salem | - | Spotter reported quarter size hail. |
| June 2014 | Hail | Salem | - | Spotter reported nickel to quarter size hail on Quail Dr. |
| August 2013 | Flash Flood | Salem | - | Several roads were flooded across central Oconee County from Walhalla to Seneca. Some roads that were closed included Collins Road, E South Boundary Road, Old Walhalla Road, Wells Highway, Highway 123, Alexander Road and Crooked Creek Road. |
| May 2011 | Hail | Salem | - | Golf ball size hail was reported on the west side of Salem. |
| June 2011 | Hail | Salem | - | Golf ball size hail was reported on highway 11 at Lake Keowee. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Salem | - | Trees were blown down along highway 11 near Boones Creek Rd. Strong winds also damaged the roof of a home in the same area. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Salem | - | Trees were blown down on Oconee Creek Rd and Burnt Tanyard Rd. Another tree was blown down at the intersection of highway 130 and highway 183. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Salem | - | Trees were blown down in the Keowee Key area. |
| August 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Salem | - | Trees were blown down in the Salem area. |
| July 2006 | Hail | Salem | - | Quarter size hail reported on Lake Keowee. |
| April 2005 | Hail | Salem | - | Golfball sized hail also reported on Little River Baptist Church Road, 5 miles NNW of Salem at 1:57 PM EST. |
| May 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Salem | - | Highway dept reported a tree on a power line, which sparked a fire in the Bad Creek area. Salem Post Office described wind as strong enough to cause damage. |
| July 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Salem | - | Power lines down. |
| June 2004 | Flash Flood | Salem | - | Little River overflowed its banks, flooding several yards. |
| April 2003 | Hail | Salem | - | Hail was reported off of highway 130. |
| November 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Salem | - | Numerous trees were blown down. One tree fell on a trailer. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Salem | - | Sheriff's deputy reported large limbs down on roads. |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Salem | - | Many trees blown down, some on cars and onto property. |
| August 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Salem | - | Five trees and a few power lines were blown down, mainly in town. |
| April 2011 | Hail | Salem | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Hail | Salem | - | no account filed |
| October 2010 | Hail | Salem | - | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Hail | Salem | - | no account filed |
| August 2000 | Hail | Salem | - | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Hail | Salem | - | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Hail | Salem | - | no account filed |
| June 1996 | Hail | Salem | - | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Hail | Salem | - | no account filed |
| June 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Salem | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tamassee | 2.4 miles | 19 | |
| Boones Creek | 2.5 miles | 19 | |
| Flat Shoals | 3.0 miles | 20 | |
| Fall Creek | 3.1 miles | 19 | |
| Camp Oak | 3.7 miles | 20 | |
| Cheohee | 3.9 miles | 19 | |
| Picket Post | 5.7 miles | 20 | |
| Moody Cove | 5.8 miles | 19 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Salem | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q2273565 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1230283. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.







