Salem is a city in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the city’s population was 5,146, reflecting a fade away of 711 (−12.1%) from the 5,857 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in point declined by 1,026 (−14.9%) from the 6,883 counted in the 1990 Census, an overall drop of higher than 25% over the two decades. It is the county seat of Salem County, the state’s most rural county. The name “Salem”, in both the city and county, is derived from the Hebrew word shalom, meaning “peace”.

The town and colony of Salem was laid out in 1675 by John Fenwick and the community was total permission to pick officers in October 1693. It was incorporated upon February 21, 1798, as ration of the initial intervention of 104 townships normal by the New Jersey Legislature. On February 25, 1858, it was reincorporated as Salem City.

Salem had the second-highest property tax rate in New Jersey, with an equalized rate of 6.519% in 2020, compared to 3.476% in Salem County and a statewide average of 2.279%.

Salem was founded by John Fenwick, a Quaker. Fenwick had been working in a financial dispute next an Edward Byllynge, another Quaker, who had acknowledged the undivided portion of New Jersey territory that James Stuart, Duke of York had granted to Lord John Berkeley in 1664. Berkeley had sold his part to Byllynge in 1675 for 1,000 pounds, but Byllynge had become bankrupt and correspondingly had the property turned exceeding to Fenwick to sustain for Byllynge and his assigns in trust. Byllynge and Fenwick came to disagree over the property.