Medford receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Central Point
Medford
Opportunity
56 · Bottom 49%
vs54 · Bottom 45%
Growth
36 · Bottom 26%
vs66 · Top 22%
Climate
71 · Top 44%
vs71 · Top 44%
Physical resilience
25 · Bottom 21%
vs25 · Bottom 21%
Housing affordability
81 · Top 50%
vs63 · Bottom 25%
Schools
7 · Bottom 1%
vs49 · Bottom 47%
Access
90 · Bottom 44%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
68 · Top 35%
vs53 · Bottom 36%
Measured values
| Metric | Central Point | Medford | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,216 | 86,315 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $86,058 | $73,230 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,947 | $37,002 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,760/sq mi | 3,020/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $389,100 | $417,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,364 | $1,376 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.2% | 56.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.1% | 6.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.4% | 30.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.7% | 13.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 22 | 595 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 6.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -40.5% | 43.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 92°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 18.4" | 18.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 2 mi | 3 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 17.3 min | 18.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.7 | 38.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 22 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.99 | 19.86 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 13.5% | 26.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 25.2% | 44.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 78.7% | 85.1% | 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
Central Point
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Medford
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Central Point
54
Your Score
49
Area Score
Medford
59
Your Score
55
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Central Point, OR · Medford, OR · How this is calculated: methodology