Eugene receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Ashland
Eugene
Opportunity
56 · Bottom 49%
vs47 · Bottom 29%
Growth
50 · Bottom 49%
vs56 · Top 39%
Climate
71 · Top 44%
vs74 · Top 35%
Physical resilience
25 · Bottom 21%
vs29 · Bottom 23%
Housing affordability
43 · Bottom 6%
vs50 · Bottom 10%
Access
87 · Bottom 34%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
43 · Bottom 21%
vs48 · Bottom 29%
Measured values
| Metric | Ashland | Eugene | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,259 | 179,591 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,028 | $66,562 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $50,414 | $41,560 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,204/sq mi | 4,037/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $583,800 | $460,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,387 | $1,402 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 51.6% | 47.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.1% | 5.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 66.2% | 45.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.2% | 19.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 51 | 770 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.4 | 4.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 6.3% | 86.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 35°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 18.4" | 40.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 15 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 17.7 min | 19.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 47.7 | 35.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 45 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.45 | 18.04 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 64.4% | 72.2% | 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
Ashland
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Eugene
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Ashland, OR · Eugene, OR · How this is calculated: methodology