Medford, OR
Census place 4147000 · pop 86,315
Home of Harry & David, the Rogue Valley fruit company famous for shipping gift boxes of Royal Riviera pears nationwide.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
5.0% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
19.1% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$417,100 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
56.3% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
5 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
93/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
13.2% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
10.4% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
13.6% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$1,789/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$73,230 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
91.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
30.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.43 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
33.0% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
41 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.78% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
22.1% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+6.4% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
17 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
Not measured for Medford: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Medford, OR a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Medford scores 44/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is commute time and its weakest is unemployment rate. Oregon overall ranks #31 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Medford, OR expensive to live in?
- Medford has a median home value of $417,100 and typical rent around $1,789/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Medford, OR?
- Its weakest measured area is unemployment rate (5.0%) — 12/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
- What is Medford, OR best at?
- Its strongest measured area is commute time (17 min) — 92/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Home of Harry & David, the Rogue Valley fruit company famous for shipping gift boxes of Royal Riviera pears nationwide.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.