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
Ashland
Opportunity
54 · Bottom 45%
vs56 · Bottom 49%
Growth
66 · Top 22%
vs50 · Bottom 49%
Climate
71 · Top 44%
vs71 · Top 44%
Physical resilience
25 · Bottom 21%
vs25 · Bottom 21%
Housing affordability
63 · Bottom 25%
vs43 · Bottom 6%
Access
90 · Bottom 44%
vs87 · Bottom 34%
Economic stability
53 · Bottom 36%
vs43 · Bottom 21%
Measured values
| Metric | Medford | Ashland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 86,315 | 21,259 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $73,230 | $68,028 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,002 | $50,414 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,020/sq mi | 3,204/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $417,100 | $583,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,376 | $1,387 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 56.3% | 51.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4% | 6.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.1% | 66.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.2% | 15.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 595 | 51 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.9 | 2.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 43.4% | 6.3% | 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 | 3 mi | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.0 min | 17.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.9 | 47.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 22 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.86 | 17.45 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 85.1% | 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
Medford
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Ashland
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: Medford, OR · Ashland, OR · How this is calculated: methodology