Medford receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Medford
Albany
Opportunity
55 · Top 50%
vs46 · Bottom 30%
Growth
60 · Top 34%
vs56 · Top 40%
Climate
71 · Top 33%
vs68 · Top 44%
Physical resilience
24 · Bottom 13%
vs31 · Bottom 21%
Housing affordability
64 · Bottom 8%
vs72 · Bottom 14%
Access
90 · Top 24%
vs74 · Bottom 47%
Economic stability
60 · Top 39%
vs64 · Top 33%
Measured values
| Metric | Medford | Albany | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 222,645 | 130,706 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $73,999 | $76,329 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,709 | $34,924 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 80/sq mi | 57/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $430,200 | $376,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,358 | $1,320 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.9% | 66.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.1% | 5.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | 0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.7% | 21.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.4% | 13.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 961 | 235 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.3 | 1.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 23.0% | 27.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 79°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 18.4" | 63.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 10 mi | 42 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.4 min | 26.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.8 | 40.1 | 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
Medford
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Albany
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Medford, OR Metro Area · Albany, OR Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology