Redraw Ward Boundaries

On November 22, 2021, the Salem City Council chose the third of three proposed ward boundary maps to guide the city for the next 10 years.

The ordinance approving the new boundaries was introduced at the December 6, 2021, City Council meeting. A second reading followed on December 13, 2021. The new boundaries officially went into effect 30 days later.

Watch Council Discussion

Why Redrawing Ward Boundaries Matters

Every 10 years, after the United States Census is completed, Salem updates its ward boundaries. This ensures that each ward has a similar population size, which helps maintain fair representation for all residents.

Salem is divided into eight wards, and each ward is represented by a City Councilor. The process of redrawing these boundaries, called reapportionment, is important because population changes over time. For example, new housing developments in some areas can cause population shifts, making some wards larger or smaller than others. By balancing the population in each ward, the city ensures that everyone’s voice is equally represented in local government.

Independent Review of Ward Boundaries

To ensure fairness, the Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments reviewed Census data and created three alternative maps for the new ward boundaries. These maps were carefully analyzed to meet state and local requirements. Additional documents, including demographic data and comparisons to neighborhood associations and state legislative districts, are available for public review.

Reapportionment Criteria

The goal of reapportionment is to balance the population across all eight wards. According to the 2020 Census, Salem’s population is 175,535. Dividing this evenly among eight wards gives a target population of 21,942 people per ward. However, due to population growth in some areas, the current ward populations vary significantly, as shown below:

2020 Salem Council Ward Population and Deviation from Target Population (21,942)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 P.L. 94-171 Redistricting File

Ward	Population	Deviation	% Deviation
1	20,743	-1,199	-5.5%
2	19,079	-2,863	-13.1%
3	21,596	-346	-1.6%
4	24,400	2,458	11.2%
5	22,285	343	1.6%
6	20,126	-1,816	-8.3%
7	22,675	733	3.3%
8	24,631	2,689	12.3%
Total City	175,535

Additional Reapportionment Guidelines

The reapportionment process follows rules set by the Oregon Revised Statutes. These rules ensure that electoral districts are fair and based on population data. The key guidelines include:

Each ward must have a single, continuous border.
Boundaries should follow existing geographic or political lines.
Communities of common interest should not be divided.
Wards must be connected by transportation routes.
Wards should have equal populations, as closely as possible.

Additionally, no ward should be drawn to favor a political party, elected official, or individual. Boundaries must also avoid reducing the voting power of any ethnic or language minority group.

Local Considerations

The Salem City Council has added its own criteria to the reapportionment process. When creating new ward boundaries, the city aims to limit the number of neighborhood associations in each ward to three or four. This helps ensure that neighborhoods remain connected and represented within their wards.

Demographic information, including data on race, ethnicity, and age for the current wards, is available in the project documents.

Salem, Oregon