Healthcare & Safety in Salem
Salem has direct in-city access to LewisGale Medical Center, a 506-bed Level II trauma center -- the first in the region -- while crime data carries a real, disclosed internal split between a less-favorable overall rate and a more favorable violent-crime-specific rate.
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Learn moreA real, first-in-region Level II trauma center
LewisGale Medical Center, a 506-bed HCA-affiliated hospital physically located in Salem, holds Level II trauma center status -- the eighth Level II center in Virginia and the first in the Roanoke region. HCA's LewisGale Regional Health System is cited as the Roanoke area's second-largest medical-payroll employer (~1,800 workers), slightly ahead of Norfolk Southern's ~1,700 (Virginia Business, HCA Virginia, retrieved 2026-08-24).
Crime data carries a real, disclosed internal split
NeighborhoodScout's overall crime rate for Salem (18 per 1,000) reads considerably higher than the national average and higher than 84% of Virginia's cities and towns -- but the same source's violent-crime-specific rate (1 per 1,000) reads well below the national average. Both figures are disclosed together rather than leading with only the more or less favorable one (retrieved 2026-08-24).
No specific neighborhood is named as unsafe
Per this dataset's site policy, no specific neighborhood within Salem is called out as higher- or lower-crime here -- confirm current, address-specific data directly with NeighborhoodScout, CrimeGrade, or the Salem Police Department before relocating.
Key takeaways
- LewisGale Medical Center (506 beds, Level II trauma, first in the region) provides real, direct in-city hospital access.
- Crime data carries a real internal split: NeighborhoodScout's overall rate reads considerably higher than the national average, while its violent-crime-specific rate reads well below the national average.
- No specific neighborhood is named as unsafe here, per site policy -- confirm current, address-specific data directly.
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