Down payment assistance · Burke County
Buying a home in Salem, NC
6 statewide.Salem has no program of its own, and 6 statewide. Here is what each one offers, what the local market looks like, and who near you can walk you through it.
What’s local to Salem
No program of Salem’s own yet
No program run for Salem or for Burke County alone is listed. A home in Salem can use the North Carolina statewide and federal programs below.
The closest city that runs its own program is Gastonia, about 42 miles away. City programs usually require the home to be inside that city’s limits.
The Salem marketThe Salem housing market
Kinds of homes hereWhat’s for sale here, and what the programs accept
Kinds of homes in Salem
- 71.3% single-familysingle-family
- 1% townhousetownhouse
- 5.7% 2–4 units2–4 units
- 7.2% 5+ unitscondo & apartment buildings (5+ units)
- 14.7% mobile & othermobile home & other
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year (2020–2024). Table B25024.
When Salem’s homes were built
49.4%
of Salem homes were built before 1980. Pre-1978 homes come with a federal lead-paint disclosure.of homes were built before 1980. A home built before 1978 comes with a federal lead-paint disclosure, and some programs require an inspection.
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year (2020–2024). Table B25034.
12 of the 68 programs here set their income limit as a share of Burke County’s area median income, adjusted for household size. See the published limits for Burke County
Free help nearbyFree help near Salem
1 HUD-approved counseling agency within 15 miles1 HUD-approved housing counseling agency within 15 miles
Create a free account to see who’s near you and pick one.A HUD-approved counselor teaches homebuyer classes and can walk you through your options. Create a free account to see who’s near you and pick one.
Free account → 90-second match → your counselors · Sign in
Across North Carolina and nationwide
68 statewide & federal programs6 statewide programs, plus federal options
Salem questions
Does Salem have its own down payment program?
No program run for Salem alone is listed. A home in Salem can use the 6 statewide programs. Each program’s own site has the current terms.
Can I use assistance on a condo in Salem?
Each program sets which kinds of homes it accepts. Where the agency publishes them, the program’s page lists them; the agency confirms it for the home you choose.
What is the income limit in Burke County?
Each program sets its own. 12 of the programs here set theirs as a share of HUD’s area median income for Burke County, adjusted for household size. HUD publishes the median each year; the 2026 figure is shown above and on the published limits page.
Where can I take a homebuyer class near Salem?
HUD-approved housing counseling agencies teach homebuyer classes, and 1 agency is within 15 miles of Salem. Create a free account and take the 90-second match to see the ones near you.
Nearby in Burke
Sources
Sources: agency sites (July–September 2026), Census ACS 2024 5-year, HUD FY2026, HUD counseling list. Hey Prescott is not a lender.Programs: Hey Prescott catalog of 2,000+ programs, each verified with its agency (July–September 2026). Market: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year (2020–2024). Income: HUD FY2026 income limits. Counselors: HUD list of approved housing counseling agencies. Hey Prescott is not a lender.