97501 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
97402
97501
Opportunity
38 · Bottom 18%
vs46 · Bottom 31%
Growth
55 · Top 41%
vs66 · Top 21%
Climate
74 · Top 36%
vs71 · Top 44%
Physical resilience
29 · Bottom 23%
vs25 · Bottom 21%
Housing affordability
47 · Bottom 11%
vs59 · Bottom 21%
Schools
18 · Bottom 8%
vs32 · Bottom 25%
Access
90 · Bottom 41%
vs90 · Bottom 41%
Economic stability
52 · Bottom 36%
vs55 · Bottom 41%
Measured values
| Metric | 97402 | 97501 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 53,823 | 44,670 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $57,658 | $63,977 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,072 | $32,026 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 784/sq mi | 985/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $357,700 | $353,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,357 | $1,326 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 50.7% | 54.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 6.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.0% | 20.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.1% | 15.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 770 | 595 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.3 | 6.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 86.0% | 43.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 35°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.8" | 18.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 5 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.0 min | 19.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.0 | 37.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 16 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.97 | 20.21 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 16.8% | 18.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 29.0% | 44.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 87.4% | 83.6% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
97402
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
97501
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: 97402 — Eugene, OR · 97501 — Medford, OR · How this is calculated: methodology