Medford receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Albany
Medford
Opportunity
46 · Bottom 30%
vs55 · Top 50%
Growth
56 · Top 40%
vs60 · Top 34%
Climate
68 · Top 44%
vs71 · Top 33%
Physical resilience
31 · Bottom 21%
vs24 · Bottom 13%
Housing affordability
72 · Bottom 14%
vs64 · Bottom 8%
Access
74 · Bottom 47%
vs90 · Top 24%
Economic stability
64 · Top 33%
vs60 · Top 39%
Measured values
| Metric | Albany | Medford | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 130,706 | 222,645 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $76,329 | $73,999 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,924 | $40,709 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 57/sq mi | 80/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $376,400 | $430,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,320 | $1,358 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.9% | 65.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | 6.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.6% | 31.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.0% | 12.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 235 | 961 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.8 | 4.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 27.0% | 23.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 79°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 63.1" | 18.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 42 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.9 min | 20.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.1 | 42.8 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Albany
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Medford
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: Albany, OR Metro Area · Medford, OR Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology