Eugene receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Eugene
Ashland
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 29%
vs56 · Bottom 49%
Growth
56 · Top 39%
vs50 · Bottom 49%
Climate
74 · Top 35%
vs71 · Top 44%
Physical resilience
29 · Bottom 23%
vs25 · Bottom 21%
Housing affordability
50 · Bottom 10%
vs43 · Bottom 6%
Access
90 · Bottom 44%
vs87 · Bottom 34%
Economic stability
48 · Bottom 29%
vs43 · Bottom 21%
Measured values
| Metric | Eugene | Ashland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 179,591 | 21,259 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $66,562 | $68,028 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $41,560 | $50,414 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,037/sq mi | 3,204/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $460,400 | $583,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,402 | $1,387 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 47.9% | 51.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 6.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45.1% | 66.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.0% | 15.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 770 | 51 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.3 | 2.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 86.0% | 6.3% | 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 | 7 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.6 min | 17.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.2 | 47.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 45 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.04 | 17.45 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 72.2% | 64.4% | 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
Eugene
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Ashland
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: Eugene, OR · Ashland, OR · How this is calculated: methodology