Santa Fe receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Medford
Santa Fe
Opportunity
55 · Top 50%
vs49 · Bottom 36%
Growth
60 · Top 34%
vs61 · Top 32%
Climate
71 · Top 33%
vs62 · Bottom 38%
Physical resilience
24 · Bottom 13%
vs49 · Bottom 41%
Housing affordability
64 · Bottom 8%
vs67 · Bottom 10%
Access
90 · Top 24%
vs99 · Top 4%
Economic stability
60 · Top 39%
vs52 · Top 48%
Measured values
| Metric | Medford | Santa Fe | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 222,645 | 156,105 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $73,999 | $79,071 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,709 | $52,207 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 80/sq mi | 82/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $430,200 | $446,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,358 | $1,389 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.9% | 71.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.1% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | -2.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.7% | 46.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.4% | 12.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 961 | 555 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.3 | 3.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 23.0% | 143.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 18.4" | 10.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 10 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.4 min | 25.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.8 | 48.7 | 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.
Santa Fe
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: Medford, OR Metro Area · Santa Fe, NM Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology