Salem Hospital is a regional medical center offering top medical services, including cancer treatment, weight loss surgery, and joint replacement, to people in and around Oregon's Willamette Valley.

In May 2009, the new Salem Hospital patient-care tower opened, offering the latest innovations in healthcare design and services.

World-class private and public universities live here in Salem, Oregon.  Along with one of the largest and best community colleges in Oregon, Salem's higher education is reaching new heights.

Salem's charter form of government features a City Council with eight Councilors, each elected from a specific ward for a four-year term that is presided over by a Mayor who is elected at-large for a two-year term. The City Council appoints the City Manager.

Salem has the state's second largest public school system, oldest university in the west, and one of Oregon's largest community colleges. A number of private colleges are nearby, Oregon State University is 40 miles south in Corvallis, and the University of Oregon is 75 miles south in Eugene.

The greater Salem area has a variety of positive attributes which attract new industries and help retain existing businesses. Some of the leading site-selection factors in Salem's favor include: