City profile · Oregon · Census ACS 2023

Medford, OR

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Medford - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

85,794
Residents
$70,497
Median income
$387,000
Median home
$1,530
Median rent (state)

Medford - the verdict

Medford ranks in the 50th percentile for household income and the 6th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

50th
percentile, household income
76th
percentile, home value
61st
percentile, median rent
6th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Medford, OR

Oregon's Medford is a small city, with 85,794 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $70,497 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 8.0%. Typical homes in Medford are valued around $387,000, and the median resident age is 39.1 years. Educational attainment runs 29.5% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 56.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 372 residential building permits were authorized in Medford (Growing), up 11% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Medford's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 4323.6 incidents per 100,000 residents, above the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Oregon carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Oregon scores 103.4 (Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,530 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $185 across Oregon, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Workers in Medford report an average commute of 15.1 minutes, with 75.9% driving alone and 10.0% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 92.5 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

85,794 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Oregon

Median Household Income

$70,497 /yr

Poverty 8.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

103.4 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, Oregon average

How does Medford compare to other US cities?

Here's how Medford stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 50% higher than other cities
Home value 76% pricier than other cities
Median rent 61% pricier than other cities
Safety 6% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Oregon alone, Medford ranks #82 of 85 Oregon cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Medford's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Oregon, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

50thIncome percentile
6thSafety percentile

50th percentile nationally for median household income · 6th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Medford's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Medford's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 29 Avg. percentile National median
Medford's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Medford's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$387,000 24th percentile more affordable than 24% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Medford $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Medford, OR Medford, OR's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Medford, OR-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Medford, OR median $70,497/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Medford, OR's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Medford, OR. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 29.5%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 8.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 56.9%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
85,794
Median Income
$70,497
Median Home Value
$387,000
Median Age
39.1
Poverty Rate
8.0%
Labor force participation
56.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
29.5%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
4323.6
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
491.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3831.7
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
22
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
85,500 residents86,000 residents86,500 residents87,000 residents87,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 86,345 residents 86,494 residents ▲ +0.2%
Medford's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Growing
Total Permits (2024)
372
housing units authorized
Single-Family
310
detached homes
Multifamily
62
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
4.3
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 335
2020 285
2021 437
2022 310
2023 828
2024 372

Permit volume increased 11% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
15.1 minutes
Drive Alone
75.9%
Carpool
9.4%
Public Transit
0.7%
Walk
2.0%
Work from Home
10.0%
Other
2.0%

Based on 38,084 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Oregon - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$85
avg/month
Natural Gas
$50
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$50
avg/month
Total Utilities
$185
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Oregon state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Oregon state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Medford sits in

Cost of Living Index
103.4
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,530/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
92.5 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Oregon

Beaverton
97,502 people
Bend
101,472 people
Hillsboro
107,050 people
Springfield
61,642 people
Corvallis
60,424 people
Gresham
112,818 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Medford's 85,794 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Lake Forest, CA
85,846 people
San Ramon, CA
85,734 people
Livermore, CA
85,870 people
Melbourne, FL
85,718 people
Whittier, CA
85,925 people
Hawthorne, CA
85,933 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Medford's $70,497 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Bascom, FL
$70,500 median income
Allendale, IL
$70,500 median income
Jenkins, MN
$70,500 median income
Murdock, MN
$70,500 median income
Luray, MO
$70,500 median income
Lakeline, OH
$70,500 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Medford, OR Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Medford, OR - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 79.8% 13.7% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 16.4% White 79.8% Black or African American 1.0% Asian 1.4% American Indian 0.7% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 3.2% Two or more races 13.7% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Medford compares to nearby Oregon cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Medford (this city) 85,794 $70,497
Beaverton 97,502 $94,279
Bend 101,472 $88,792
Hillsboro 107,050 $103,207
Census ACS 5-year FIPS OR FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Medford, OR?

What is the population of Medford, OR? +

Medford, OR counts 85,794 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Medford, OR? +

Median annual household income in Medford runs $70,497, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Medford? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Medford; the closest available measure is the Oregon state average, a cost of living index of 103.4 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Oregon vary by metro area.

Is Medford, OR safe? +

Medford has a total crime rate of 4323.6 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Medford, OR? +

The median home value in Medford is $387,000, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.