Chart by MeowILoveCats123 First published: Tuesday May 5th, 2026
Infamous for its witch trials, which it conducted from 1692-3, Salem is a 400-year-old city in Essex County of Massachusetts. It's the 3rd oldest municipality in the state and the 31st most populous. This chart shows its population since its founding in 1626.
For context, Salem Town and Salem Village were part of the same entity until 1752, when Salem Village separated from Salem Town. It was renamed Danvers in 1757. During the Witch Trials, most accused people came from Salem Village.
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. Other data comes from censuses and population estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau. Check comments for notes.
Population for 1777, 1778 and 1781 is based off the number of polls, or males 16 and above. Roughly 50% of colonial America's population was at least 16 years, given the median age. If we assume half of this 50% were males, then perhaps 25% of the population was an adult male; so, I multiplied the number of polls by 4. Additionally, the population in 1632 is based off of the ratio of people to families in 1637 (roughly 3.98) and the number of families in 1632 (40).
